Compiled list of citizen budget ideas!!

Here's a list of all the responses I received from my July email, enlisting the help of the Citizens to close our budget gap. These ideas are often small individually, but I firmly believe a lot of small ideas add up to BIG SAVING! This is excellent - thx for taking the time to write/call. I'll fwd this list on to Bill E and Paul T as they work through their By-Department savings ideas.

Cortney
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ACCOUNTING
-budget crunch is in the General Fund, not in the Permanent Improvement Fund. We have enough reserves to cover most expenses we might expect for Capital Items in the next few years, not including anything major such as a new Fire Truck or major (needed) improvements to the Administration building. There will be pressure on the Permanent Improvement Fund over the next 4 years or so, as we will need to spend at least $150,000 to remove and replace the Village owned Ash trees (22 of 160 village owned Ash trees this Oct). Prudent spending on other capital budget items will make this increased expenditure of $40,000 to $50,000 per year over the next 3 or 4 years possible.
INCOME
-Cars fly down Miami Road, Wooster Pike, Plainville Road, etc. It's a real safety issue. We should issue more citations, not for 3 or 4 miles over the posted speed limit, but for significant speeding. We don't want to be known as a speedtrap (that's Fairfax' job :), but let's enforce the laws on the books.
-How much money does Terrace Park raise through their pancake breakfast...or is it a dinner?...regardless, they raise money.
-renting Village space for events and gatherings? With temporary event liquor licenses, the Lagoon shelter would be rented often (not at all today)
-The cameras that monitor traffic lights and issue tickets should be installed....need less police AND get more revenue from tickets.
-Williams Meadows residents should be allowed to join pool
REDUCE COST
-combining the Maintenance Department with that of Fairfax. Our Maintenance department is essentially in the middle of Fairfax already. Presumably there could be some reduction in the number of personnel working in the combined department. There is likely much duplication between the two departments in expensive equipment, and, as some equipment is retired it would not need to be replaced.
-Consult Chief Phifer to see what reductions in the number of fire personnel are reasonable and possible. It may be that reducing the number of full time fire department employees and increasing the number of part-time fire department employees would accomplish some savings. If not, he must consider which days/shifts can tolerate a reduction in the number of people in the building on duty, and the savings from such reduction.
-Review Employee Salary Raises. Understand greater contribution on Employee health care, but we need a soln. Aso, ask employees what they prefer: layoffs, less $
-General Administration: employee hours could be reduced somewhat. Mayor needs to stop "dictating" letters.
-Maintenance currently has a new employee who is on extended probation (whom the Mayor will not let the Supervisor fire). This position should be eliminated, probably saving $50,000 per year in salary and benefits.
-Mayor + Council Members salary reduction/elimination
-The Police department has not replaced a senior officer who retired, saving approximately $80,000 per year in salary and benefits. They have also quietly eliminated one crossing guard position, and reduced the number of paid hours of the remaining four crossing guards, saving an additional estimated $10,000 per year. We should not expect more cuts in this department.
SPEND TO SAVE
-additional incentives for more businesses to come to Mariemont so that we have more tax revenue? Specifically, the key space in between the movie theater and Graeter's, as well as the spaces by The Snooty Fox.
-We really need a village administrator: Jenny Kamineris is said to save Fairfax bundles
-Village Council considered commercial development along the block across from Marielders, but decided against it because that would entail additional surface parking, which seems to make sense.
SPENDING CONTROLS
-Competitive Bids on all work
-If the mayor authorizes spending beyond what is set i.e. blacktopping a parking lot over the PW Comm.'s stated monetary outlay, he should have to reimburse the village.
-benchmarked / can we benchmark our staffing and compensation in each department against other similar towns? Typically that info is essential to organizations looking to restructure, "right size", create a strategic plan, etc.
TAXATION/FEES
-Garbage Stickers $2+
-reduce the earnings tax credit by 1/4%
-residents be charged an ark tax to go for trees, upkeep of parks, etc.
-taxing non-earnings? If a resident works a typical job for 40+ hours a week, they are taxed; if a resident lives off investment income, they are not taxed.
-increase the income tax rate. nearby communities: Cincinnati 2.1%, Fairfax 1.75%, Madeira 1% ,Silverton 1.25%, Blue Ash 1.25%, Newtown, 1%, Anderson Township 0% [townships cannot levy an income tax by law], Montgomery 1%, Indian Hill 0.4%, Norwood 2%.
WASTE
-Can Fire department take on other responsibilities during down-time....it kills me to see them hanging out killing time.
-dump the paper. It's money we don't need to spend. Mayor's Bulletins are Tweets (Twitter) or emails. Council's Meeting packets are electronic only
-Mariemont Tax Office spends over $1000 each month in rent. Negotiate a better rate or move to a new building. The Old Town Square has store fronts for $500 per month. Assume $100 for utilities (unverified), and thats $400 x 12mo = nearly $5000 savings each year! Further, lock in a 10 year lease at a low rent, taking advantage of this touch economic time.
-When it comes time to replace the police chief's car- no more inefficient expensivce SUV
-policemen and firemen cross trained for both jobs? Since firemen spend so much time waiting for emergencies, such a fires and medical emergencies, to happen, perhaps having one fewer firemen on duty for selected shifts, with one policeman for that shift cross trained as a fireman, would save on costs.