Faced with a $1.1 million budget shortfall for the second consecutive year, Snellville will begin on Monday to weigh raising taxes or slashing 20 percent of its work force.
Or a bit of both.
And if jobs cuts are the answer, the police department could bear the brunt, city officials said.
City Manager Russell Treadway will meet with the Snellville City Council in a special called work session at 6 p.m. on Monday -- earlier than usual in the budget-making process -- to prep city leaders for the fiscal 2011 budget, which he calls the "toughest one yet." The city's fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.
"We're looking at some very, very difficult choices and some very, very difficult decisions," Treadway said. "I wanted to get council input as early as I could."
To stem the shortfall last year, the Gwinnett County municipality of 20,000 scrubbed a laundry list of services, from the Easter egg hunt to the Christmas tree lighting. It froze staff positions and salaries and withdrew $73,000 from reserves.
"There isn't anything else that can be pared down except employment costs," Councilman Tod Warner said. "We're at the point that if we reduce our expenses, we'll have to reassess what services we provide."
Snellville runs on an operating budget of about $9.5 million. Public safety, comprised of the police department and municipal courts, accounts for nearly 50 percent, or $4.7 million, of that. It also accounts for about 61 of the 95 city positions, Treadway said.
"I don't necessarily think across-the-board cuts are the way to go," Treadway said. "On the other hand, 50 percent of what we spend in the general fund is police and courts. So if you have got to cut, chances are they will suffer some of those cuts."
Some of the city's big revenue sources, from building permits to occupational taxes, have foundered amid the poor economy, Treadway said. And Snellville's ongoing battle with Gwinnett County over the service delivery strategy continues to sock city coffers, to the tune of about $80,000, he added.
Last year, Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer lobbied for a 24 percent property tax increase to stave off service cuts. His efforts failed after residents balked. On Friday, he pledged to renew his pitch for a millage-rate hike.
"If we cut more services, we might as well get out of the city business," Oberholtzer said. "Russell wants to hear from us, as public officials, on where do we go. It's put up or shut up time."
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