It’s not on the city website last time we checked but a news release came in from Mayor Mike McGinn‘s office in the hours before his ceremonial swearing-in (which you should be able to watch live via Seattle Channel in about 10 minutes) – he’s making moves to tighten the financial reins on city bureaucracy – with possible job cuts to come. Read on for the announcement (plus a 5:31 pm addition – other info sent today regarding mayoral staff salaries and org chart):
On his first day in office, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn took several steps
Monday to address the city’s financial situation.Preliminary estimates are that the City will face a general-fund budget deficit of at least $40 million in 2011. This deficit is in addition to the $70 million shortfall the city faced in 2009, which resulted in a drawdown of the rainy day account balance from $30 million to $10 million.
The Mayor today signed four executive orders that reduce or limit spending in the top tier of city government.
The mayor is:
* Freezing salaries for senior-level employees and reducing the number of furlough days for those employees
* Requiring mayoral office review of new hiring
* Requiring mayoral office review of new contracts
* Instructing departments to begin a process to reduce the number of management and executive level employees by 200 positions.During the relative good times of the past decade the payroll has grown beyond what can now be reasonably supported. For example, eight years ago the City of Seattle had 639 senior-level employees. Today that number is 951 — an increase of 49 percent, while the overall city workforce has increased by just 2 percent during the same period.
Mayor McGinn recognizes the dedication of city employees, and that this process will
be difficult. Fiscal reality requires that we begin the process of reducing costs in
a deliberative and thoughtful manner, so that city government retains the capacity
to serve Seattle residents and we avoid deeper and more disruptive cuts in the
future.Here is a summary of today’s orders. The full executive orders are attached.
Summary of Fiscal Actions
January 4, 2010Executive Order 2010-01
2010 salary freeze for senior-level personnelEliminates 2010 salary increase for executives, managers, and strategic advisors. A salary increase of 2.0% was originally scheduled for January 6, 2010.
In compliance with ordinance 123166, the number of furlough days for affected employees is reduced from ten to seven days. Ten unpaid furlough days are equal to 3.8% of salary savings; seven days equals 2.7% savings. As a result of this order, the salary savings for affected employees will be 4.7% in 2010, with base salaries reduced by 2.0% entering 2011.
Executive Order 2010-02
Hiring review
Requires departments to obtain authorization prior to initiating any hiring process to fill position vacancies.Executive Order 2010-03
Senior-level salary review
Requires departments to obtain authorization for any salary offer for executive, manager, and strategic advisor positions.Executive Order 2010-04
Consulting contract review
Requires departments to obtain authorization prior to awarding any new consulting contract or consulting contract amendment.Q1 Personnel Process
Senior-level personnel reviewAdhering to Mayor McGinn’s stated goal of a 200-position reduction in senior-level
= personnel, a review process will occur during the first quarter of 2010 to identify positions for elimination or reclassification. This review will focus on executive, manager, and strategic advisor positions.
Added 5:31 pm – list of staff salaries, followed by org-chart document:
Mayor Mike McGinn today released details on the staff structure and salaries of all new hires by his administration. Releasing the salaries and organization of his staff is an important step toward greater transparency in city government.
This commitment to transparency extends to the new administration’s plans to create an online database of all city employees’ salaries and departmental organizations during 2010.
The salary of each new hire by the new administration is listed below. An organizational chart (.PDF) is attached.
Mayor’s Office
$ 65,000 Birkholz, Elizabeth
$ 65,000 Burson, Alison
$ 65,000 Close, Ainsley
$ 75,000 Cramer, Jennifer
$ 51,406 Day, Elliott
$ 70,000 Deehr, Rebecca
$ 75,000 Farmer, Derek
$ 51,406 Fishbone, Aaron
$125,000* Fujii, Phil
$100,000 Inagi, Candace
$125,000 Marquardt, Carl
$100,000 Matassa, Mark
$125,000 McCoy, Julie
$ 45,000 Merrill, Nathaniel
$ 51,406 Nance, Jen
$ 55,000 Pickus, Aaron
$125,000 Raup, Ethan
$125,000 Smith, Darryl
$ 51,406 Stanley, Becky
$ 45,000 Thomas, April
$ 51,406 Villarreal,SolCity Budget Office
$125,000 Goldberg, Beth
$100,000 Maxwell, Nicholas
$ 90,000 Taylor, Tom
$100,000 Walker, HallHuman Services Department
$125,000 Tokuda, Kip
Office of Intergovernmental Relations
$100,000 Engelking, Craig
$115,000 Lowe, Marco* Receiving $13,922 in supplemental compensation in lieu of retirement contributions/ suspension of current city retirement benefits.
Here’s the org chart (PDF).
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