SPRINGFIELD — Springfield will be evaluating two areas at the core of local government to gauge their fiscal feasibility in the wake of a “financial emergency” declaration, according to city officials.
Springfield police and fire departments are already down to “skeleton crews,” Mayor Ralph Hammond said in a recent interview. However, in coming weeks Bay County personnel will be invited to examine each department’s expenditures for areas that could be cut to get the city back in financial order; or if it would be more cost-effective to subsidize the services.
“We don’t want to lose [the police and fire departments] if we don’t have to, but if the county can do it cheaper then that might be another option to save money,” Hammond said.
Hammond filed a declaration of “financial emergency” with the state March 12. The two provisions Springfield met to declare an emergency were failing to make payments to the state for an amount owed and falling 90 days behind on two bills for cable services totaling $35,000. The city deferred a $92,000 October bill payment for a state-funded sewer project and declared a “financial emergency” to keep state auditors from coming in and selling the city’s assets in lieu of payment.
“The city is moving toward taking action that will improve the city’s financial condition, but that will not happen quickly,” Hammond implored Gov. Rick Scott and the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee in the declaration letter.
Mostly commissioners have been looking toward revenue increases, including the first-ever property tax and sales tax in the city, since water and sewer rates have already been increased by about 25 percent and most assets — other than the cities surplus property — have been sold. Commissioners also agreed to consider slashing their own salaries to lessen the cuts to public services but have yet to formally do so.
Police services have been the last department to undergo a financial sheering. Though department heads have reduced expenses on fuel and overtime for their combined 37 employees, the city could examine operating procedures for ways to further cut back.
Hammond is still not outright blaming the city’s previous leadership, though audits from 2009 to 2011 indicate the city shifted from a surplus of $887,640 to a deficit of $1.05 million, respectively. He did, however, say that as a commissioner during that time he and other commissioners were lead to believe the city was solvent.
“I have no idea what the past administration did,” Hammond said. “I know when I was commissioner, everything was looking good but then you start looking at the audit and it definitely wasn’t good.”