By Sarah Lombardo
It seems more than just programs and funding are at risk as the Saratoga City Council battles budget woes. Morale among City Hall employees is also in the line of fire.
With the city struggling to plug a $1.4 million hole in its budget as a result of the loss of the utility users tax in November, it's becoming painfully obvious that cuts in staffing will have to be made.
"I think it's unlikely that we can meet the challenge of a 20 percent reduction in the budget without letting some people go," said Mayor Gillian Moran.
Councilman Jim Shaw, although reluctant to talk about cuts until after the council sees a first draft of the budget, said he too thought some staff would have to go.
"It seems to me highly likely that some adjustment in staffing level will have to be made," Shaw said.
With the reality that jobs are on the chopping block, city staffers are wondering, "Who's it going to be?" And that makes for a difficult work environment.
"The waiting and the working through it is tough," administrative analyst Irene Jacobs said. "Nobody knows, but nobody's stupid either. . . . I don't want to paint a gloomy picture, but the running joke is asking each other, 'How are you doing today?' and answering, 'Oh, fine. I'm just fine.' ""You know how everybody's feeling, but you don't want to hear it," Jacobs added.
Larry Perlin, public works director and acting city manager, said morale is uneasy, but isn't really low.
"Among the rank and file, my sense is that there is apprehension," Perlin said. "They know there are going to be changes. They have been following very closely the discussions. They recognize the reality of the loss of the utility users tax and so there is apprehension. ... It's a lot of wait and see."
Jacobs said that for most people, the worst part of the budget crisis is waiting for the ax to fall, and that everyone has a different reason to worry.
"I think everybody's perspective is different because everybody's stake is different. You have some people who are the head of their household, so the prospect of losing their employment is scary," she said. "Some [employees] are saying it's difficult in the sense that this waiting is tough because it's not an overnight thing."
The council has held a number of budget meetings to negotiate possible cuts in the budget and hear suggestions from the public. But the council won't begin working with a draft budget and hard numbers until later this month. How many city employees will be let go is as yet uncertain.
Saratoga has the lowest city employee-to-resident ratio of the West Valley cities, with one employee per 540 residents, according to a city study conducted late last year. Campbell ranks second-lowest, with one city employee for each 450 residents. Los Gatos, closest in population to Saratoga, has one city employee per 387 residents. Cupertino ranked the highest, with one employee for each 369 residents.
"It may end up that not a whole lot of people do lose their jobs," said former City Manager Peacock, himself recently fired by the City Council. "Maybe only one or two will."
Peacock said the biggest detriment to morale among city staff in his opinion is not necessarily who or how many will be fired, but what will happen when it's all over.
"The staff is feeling bad that they don't feel like they can offer the level of service that we have always stressed they must give," Peacock said.
Peacock said he hopes the council does not spread city staff too thin by cutting people but trying to maintain the same number of services provided. "If you try to do everything, you may perhaps end up doing nothing," Peacock said. "You'll have people thinking, 'Are we really appreciated or are we just put down in the galleys?' "
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, March 19, 1997.
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