Mayor's Budget Plan To Affect Jobs, Fast-Food Prices
Detroit Zoo, Historical Museum May Lose City Funding
POSTED: Tuesday, April 12, 2005
DETROIT -- Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick announced his 2005-2006 budget plan on Tuesday, which included layoffs and the elimination of some city departments, Local 4 reported. 
Kilpatrick said an additional 754 layoffs would be needed in the coming year to help overcome a projected budget shortfall of more than $300 million.
Video: Local 4 Reports On Effects Of Budget Cuts
Video: Kilpatrick Describes Need For Cuts
Discuss: What Do You Think Of Mayor's Budget Cut Proposal?
Read Mayor's Budget Proposal
"This budget is not about politics," Kilpatrick said. "This is about the future of Detroit."The budget plan includes laying off 85 police cadets and suspending classes at the police academy. The budget also calls for 61 layoffs in the fire department and 38 layoffs within the city's EMS department, Kilpatrick said.The mayor said he also said he has plans to adopt two new sources of revenue through a fast-food tax and a property transfer tax, both of which will require the approval of city voters."We're asking for a 2 percent tax. That means if a happy meal costs $2.99, the total cost will be $3.05, with the 6 cents coming to the city," Kilpatrick said.Kilpatrick said the transfer tax will apply to the sale of property and will be assessed as part of the closing costs.The mayor said the revenue sources would raise about $15 million in the coming fiscal year.The budget plan would also call for city government to consolidate into seven departments: public safety, economic development, health and human services, municipal and environmental services, general services, administrative services, and financial services. Each department would be headed by a cabinet-level employee, according to the mayor.The Detroit Zoo and Detroit Historical Museum would no longer receive city funding under the mayor's plan.The mayor also laid out his plans to create a regional authority to manage Cobo Center and to transfer the management of the Detroit Department of Transportation to the Detroit Area Regional Transit Authority."For too long, this has been the only major urban area in America without a fully functioning regional transit authority," Kilpatrick said.The mayor's budget plan has yet to be approved by the City Council and could potentially be modified if an agreement is not reached, the station reported.Kilpatrick said he's counting on city employees to make some concessions to avoid having to cut more jobs.
Kilpatrick said an additional 754 layoffs would be needed in the coming year to help overcome a projected budget shortfall of more than $300 million.Video: Local 4 Reports On Effects Of Budget CutsVideo: Kilpatrick Describes Need For CutsDiscuss: What Do You Think Of Mayor's Budget Cut Proposal?Read Mayor's Budget Proposal"This budget is not about politics," Kilpatrick said. "This is about the future of Detroit."The budget plan includes laying off 85 police cadets and suspending classes at the police academy. The budget also calls for 61 layoffs in the fire department and 38 layoffs within the city's EMS department, Kilpatrick said.The mayor said he also said he has plans to adopt two new sources of revenue through a fast-food tax and a property transfer tax, both of which will require the approval of city voters."We're asking for a 2 percent tax. That means if a happy meal costs $2.99, the total cost will be $3.05, with the 6 cents coming to the city," Kilpatrick said.Kilpatrick said the transfer tax will apply to the sale of property and will be assessed as part of the closing costs.The mayor said the revenue sources would raise about $15 million in the coming fiscal year.The budget plan would also call for city government to consolidate into seven departments: public safety, economic development, health and human services, municipal and environmental services, general services, administrative services, and financial services. Each department would be headed by a cabinet-level employee, according to the mayor.The Detroit Zoo and Detroit Historical Museum would no longer receive city funding under the mayor's plan.The mayor also laid out his plans to create a regional authority to manage Cobo Center and to transfer the management of the Detroit Department of Transportation to the Detroit Area Regional Transit Authority."For too long, this has been the only major urban area in America without a fully functioning regional transit authority," Kilpatrick said.The mayor's budget plan has yet to be approved by the City Council and could potentially be modified if an agreement is not reached, the station reported.Kilpatrick said he's counting on city employees to make some concessions to avoid having to cut more jobs.
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