The 2009-10 City of Hood River budget woes have been the talk of the town.
    Monday’s City Council meeting was among the best-attended in recent memory, with an estimated 75 people crowding a room with a capacity of 49 (as determined by the city fire marshal).

Sadly, it was predictable that a crowd would gather for a meeting when cuts are in the wind. It would be great if a typical city council meeting would draw even a third of the number of citizens attending this one.

There is a certain irony in this: fire department personnel, and their supporters, were among those filling the chamber well beyond capacity.

The challenge of figuring out how to deal with a $750,000 personnel budget deficit is unenviable at best, but City Manager Bob Francis and Mayor Arthur Babitz have clearly worked hard to wrangle the budget, and deserve credit for being open about the dilemma facing the city.

So what can be done about this budget without greatly reducing city services or cutting as many as eight city jobs?

First, city employees across the board should take pay cuts. At the meeting, the fire department’s willingness to do “whatever it takes to prevent job cuts” was expressly stated by Capt. Manual Irusta of the department’s bargaining unit.

In this difficult time that kind of attitude needs to be shown by all three city employee union groups.

Second, city officials need to keep striving, and look in earnest at the facts as well as emotions put forth by people who spoke to them Monday. For starters, the city should seriously look into the possibility of reducing employee insurance costs by more than $200,000 a year, as suggested by county Sheriff Detective Matt English.

A public safety surcharge is a route worth considering, though such a measure amounts to one more tax that adds undue burden to property owners, excusing visitors and even county residents who can also benefit from city services.

A public safety bond levy is another idea put forth. Such a step might not be palatable for citizens, but why not float the idea and let the people decide.

This also may be the time to forge a greater citizen role in picking up the slack in code enforcement and community police work that comes from not replacing some police positions. Chief Bruce Ludwig has already formed a citizen police advisory committee; expanding it to a trained volunteer organization, while a fairly complex process, is something to consider. It will take time and effort, but no more time and effort than goes into annual budget rigors.

Police and fire have long been regarded as “essential” services. That perception needs to continue. Doing away with as many as four police positions and three in the fire department is a precipitous step, as numerous people testified to the council Monday.

The fate of public works positions has received slightly less attention than that facing the police and fire portions of the budget, but vociferous efforts by public works employees and supporters has raised the profile of this department. Citizen safety, as well as services and infrastructure, could suffer greatly under the proposed cutbacks.

It is important that the city do all it can to protect its concrete and metal investments.

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An odd twist to all this is that the fire department is looking at job losses while planning to remodel its current facility or construct a new one, and purchase $2 million in new equipment. Hood River County School District is in a similar situation, facing employee cuts at the same time it gears up to build new facilities and upgrade others.

It needs to be kept in mind with both the schools and fire department that building and equipment funds come from bond levies approved by voters. In both cases, the funds are legally designated for capital construction and purchases, and cannot be used for operating or personnel expenses.