Little Rock budget cuts proposed

Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola is making recommendations for next year's budget cuts. Next years proposed budget includes $3.6 million in cuts. It cuts nearly 30 jobs from various city departments from top to bottom. 

Kathy Wells with the Coalition of Greater Little Rock Neighborhoods says, "Give us more and better services. Address our problems.”   Wells is not happy with the mayor's proposed budget. It includes cutting 1.5 million dollars from the prevention and intervention and treatment programs for youth. "These are not programs you start and stop on a dime,” Wells said.

Mayor Mark Stodola says the city has no choice. "It means there are going to be some cuts across the board,” he said.  "It looks like there are 28 people that will be receiving notices about this reduction in force,” Stodola added.

It’s no easy decision he says, but he and City Manager Bruce Moore must sell the plan to the board of directors.
 
Director Doris Wright questions why the city must cut and outsource some programs. "I don't see why we have to vet it out or give it to community based programs when you have community centers that the citizens and taxpayers pay for sitting empty,” Wright said.

In the coming weeks they will review the proposal line by line.

"To the various projects that are very important to the city, that make this city what it is, we're all having to tighten our belts,” Stodola said.

Moore addressed the board saying, "I can not say city services won't be affected by these reductions because they will be.”  Director Erma Hendrix said she would be willing to give up her salary if it would help the city.

Though the proposal wouldn't eliminate fire staff it would cut $100,000 in supplies for the fire department. The plan also eliminates 6 neighborhood alert centers and cuts $10,000 from the travel budget for the board of directors.