By CONNIE CUELLAR
Special to The Oakland Press
Marj Kome leads a group through the wildflower walk at the Madison Heights Nature Center.
The Madison Heights Nature Center faces closure as the city seeks to bridge its $3.2 million budget gap.
City officials are working with Oakland County Parks and Recreation in hopes it will take the reins and keep the facility open.
"I'm hopeful that we will be able to come to an agreement," said City Manager Jon Austin. "They've indicated interest."
The Red Oaks Waterpark and Red Oaks golf course on 13 Mile Road are both owned by Oakland County Parks and Recreation, which is considering a proposal to join operations with the nature center, said Sue Wells, manager of Parks and Recreation Operations.
The city is considering several options Austin recommended to balance its $29 million budget.
Also on the line are 23 full-time and 23 part-time city jobs.
"Some of these jobs are ones that are vacant or people are retiring, or are seasonal jobs that we won't fill," Austin said.
Eight full-time and two-part time employees who are now working would lose their jobs. Closing the nature center would eliminate a full-time and part-time job there.
The city's children's librarian, Alex Krentzin, knows he might get laid off.
"We wouldn't be in this big mess if the library was financed correctly," Krentzin said. "The City Council can ask voters for a special tax for the library. Plus, they don't even have to ask the voters. They can just impose it. Then the library would have plenty of money to operate normally."
Mayor Pro Tem Brian Hartwell rejects the notion of imposing a new tax on Madison Heights residents.
"City Council reviewed the law on a library tax years ago and again for the most recent budget," Hartwell said. "A new library tax, which is not being considered anytime soon, would create unnecessary red tape with the creation of a possible independently elected library board. Current funding for the library is stable enough to preserve the high level of services that our residents have come to enjoy."
Some council members are not satisfied with Austin's budget overview as written, which recommends the city dip into its rainy day fund to fill the $1.1 million void. Councilmen Robert Corbett and Kyle Geralds both call for Austin to find another way to bridge the gap.
"If we pass this budget, the consensus would be that $1.1 million is acceptable," Geralds said. "I don't think it's acceptable at all. We need to cut that amount by at least $500,000, if not $1 million."
Madison Heights has been in negotiations with its labor unions, which represent the largest percentage of the budget, some 67 percent, Austin said. Unions that have not agreed to concessions or whose contracts are not final include those representing municipal employees and technical, professional and office workers. However, an agreement won't happen before the budget is passed, Austin said.
On the positive side, the proposed budget also reflects a $111 decrease in the city portion of property tax per household, equaling a 2.5 mill savings.
"I think that's a significant achievement," Austin said.
City Council will meet again May 10 to further discuss the budget. Council must approve a final budget by May 17.
A hospital in Spain says it has carried out the world's first full-face transplant, giving a man a new nose, skin, jaws, cheekbones, teeth and other features after he lost his face in an accident. 
0 comments:
Post a Comment - Back to Content