During the Dec. 3 City Council meeting, City Manager Doug Selby and Finance Director Mark Vincent presented an update on the Fundamental Service Review and the city’s budget challenges.

Since the Oct. 6 spe¬cial meeting with the City Council, city staff has been working on imple¬mentation of a wide range of cost-saving and cost-containment measures. Additionally, we have been meeting with union leaders to discuss ways to help meet the city’s five-year, $150 million deficit and minimize impacts on citizens, services and city workers.

The City Council will revisit the issue on Jan. 7 to allow additional time for an independent assessment of our five-year forecast by our unions. Staff was also asked to contact Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Doug Gillespie and discuss the need for a slow¬down in the rate of employee wage growth. In the meantime, the mayor and council directed the City Manager’s Office to do three additional things: First, to determine what level the city should cut employee wage increases to help balance the budget. This would not entail cuts in pay, only cuts to the amount of wage increase. Second, each department is to identify five per¬cent of the employees who would be laid off to help balance the budget. Finally, staff was directed to talk with the International Association of Firefighters (the union representing city firefighters) about moving up labor negotiations for the next contract in light of the declining economy.

The Dec. 3 City Council presentation can be viewed online.