Sudbury mayor pleased with plan to cut $6M, despite some layoffs

Sudbury's mayor is standing by a plan to cut $6 million dollars from the cost of running the city, despite layoffs and service cuts that he promised to avoid. 

During the election last fall, Brian Bigger promised to freeze taxes without laying city workers or cutting services.

But, it was revealed this week that two employees in the city cemetery department received layoff notices.

Bigger said those job losses have more to do with changes in the cemetery business and would have happened even if the city wasn't looking to cut $6 million in order to pay for the tax freeze council brought in this year. 

"We've done everything that is possible within the organization to find those opportunities at minimal impact to services and staff," Bigger said after Tuesday's meeting.

So far, staff have found $4.3 million in cost reductions, $2.4 million of which comes from cutting the city workforce.

While some of the proposed cuts, including a reduction in the number of crossing guards, seems like a service reduction, Bigger said he isn't concerned about it.

"Every single opportunity for reduction that's been brought forward by staff has been closely analysed and looking at how we're actually operating today and what the actual needs are," he said.

The remaining $1.7 million in proposed spending reductions is expected to be released next month. 

The City of Cheaper Sudbury: Cuts proposed 

• Reducing the number of crossing guards stationed outside Sudbury schools to save $61,236. 
• Pilot project to use new software to cut down on fuel costs for Sudbury Transit has shown the city can save $40,639 on the cost of filling up city buses. 
• Switch to paper yard waste bags will save $60,000 from staffing costs at city landfills.
• Budget for maintaining traffic signals and city-owned pavement at railroad crossings to be trimmed by $100,000.
• Budget for maintaining streetlights to be cut by $50,000.
• Closing and selling of Ben Moxam Community Centre in Lively. The building once housed a local library and other services, but is now largely vacant. That is expected to save $40,000.
• Converting Capreol Ski Hill to a tobogganing hill. Fewer staff demands will save $35,000. The vote on this was put off, with ward councillor Mike Jakubo wanting more time to put together a citizen plan to keep running the ski hill with volunteers.
• Human resources would cut the budget for employee safety awards by $10,000 and reorganize safety and first aid training to save $18,654.
• Leisure services believes it can save $25,000 through "efficiencies in grass cutting" as well as $2,600 by switching to liquid chlorine in swimming pools.
• Welcome centres might no longer be welcome. The one closed on Highway 69 would be sold for $24,000 and the centre in Whitefish on Highway 17 would be closed, saving $15,110. Also, the budget for maintaining the road signs welcoming people to Greater Sudbury would be cut by $7,250.