Following a one-hour, closed-door meeting Thursday night, members of Pottsville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 44 and the city council have come up with a few concepts that might save jobs, according to FOP President Brian Kotzmoyer.
"It was a very positive meeting," Kotzmoyer said.
"Both sides realized we're doing our best to try to avoid layoffs. The officers put forth some ideas about cost-savings initiatives and some things they can do to generate more revenue on our end," said Councilman Mark Atkinson, who chairs the council's public safety committee.
When asked for his thoughts after the meeting, Councilman Michael P. Halcovage, who chairs the finance committee, said: "We're just throwing around ideas. I can't give you any specifics."
The council members have agreed to continue discussions with FOP members at another executive session at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at City Hall.
"This meeting was just everybody throwing out ideas. Hopefully, next week, we'll be able to narrow down where we're going," Kotzmoyer said.
"We got a lot of good stuff out of it but everybody's got to work together. We don't want to lay anybody off. We really don't," Atkinson said.
On Nov. 29, the council presented its tentative 2013 spending plan. To avoid a tax increase, it announced it was planning to lay off five full-time workers - three police officers, a street worker and a tax office employee.
Inflation has the city in a choke-hold. Anticipated expenses in 2013 will include a 7-percent increase in health care, a 21-percent increase in insurances and a 22.7-increase in pension contributions, according to City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar.
City employees who have been around since the 1980s said there has never been the threat of layoffs before.
But changes can still be made to the $8,038,888 spending plan before its final approval, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Dec. 27.
"That's three weeks from today," Mayor John D.W. Reiley said Thursday night, realizing that time was short.
The city put a 2.5-mill increase in its 2011 budget. Prior to 2011, the city's last tax increase was a 1-mill increase for the 2009 budget, City Clerk Julie D. Rescorla said previously.
According to Schuylkill County's website, the millage rate was 18.47 mills, or $18.47 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.
Present from city council at Thursday night's meeting were all members of city council: the mayor, Atkinson, Halcovage and council members Lori A. Spotts and James T. Muldowney.
Representing the FOP were Kotzmoyer; Brian Reno, the lodge's vice president; Gino Yourey, the lodge's secretary; and FOP member James Joos, who is also a city police officer.
"We talked about a couple categories, a couple of line items we can look into where we might have cost-savings," Reiley said. "I was very pleased with the tone of the FOP. They really want to cooperate with city council and hopefully we can come up with a package to resolve this issue three weeks from today."
"The initial discussions were very positive. There's always been a good atmosphere of cooperation between the FOP and the City of Pottsville and that will continue. I don't see that not continuing, and we're working together to try to come up with a solution. Nobody wants to see police officers be laid off because of the effects that that might bring. Public safety is paramount in the mayor's mind, city council's mind and our mind," Joos said.
Joos said "there's a sense of concern" among his fellow officers.
"Yet, there's a sense of hopefulness that the city and the union can get together and come up with a solution to avert any layoffs," Joos said.
"It was amicable. It was nice to sit down and have a conversation. Everybody was on the same page, I believe," Spotts said.
Spotts said in the seven years she's been on the council, she's never experienced a budget situation like this one.
"Our revenue is down. The tax base is down and insurance, pensions and health costs are up. And in the seven years I've been on council, this is the first time we've had an open communication like this and I think this will be the path of the future. We're already talking plans to start meetings in January or February, so we're not sitting at the table next December saying 'OK, well, we're going to have to lay off again,' " Spotts said.
In a related matter, members of city council are planning to hold a similar executive session with District Council 89 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 13 to discuss how to prevent layoffs in the street department and tax office. It's scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at City Hall.