Issue Overview

[yfdgricker]

The city of Youngstown is being faced with a $2.5 million dollar deficit to end the fiscal year.

The Mayor has decided to cut city departments to keep from ending in the red and risking being put under state fiscal watch.

Reasons given for the $2.5 million deficit include the bankrupcy and selling of Phar-Mor Corporation, the shutting down of one of the cities Private Prisons and general economy. Youngstown is still recovering from the departure of the steel mills.

9 Youngstown Fire members took early retirement during the buyout offered by the city. Another 15 people from the YFD were laid off. Two fire inspectors and and arson inspector have been detailed to fill vacancies in the fire supression division.

Anyone else have anything I left out? Daysleeper47? yfd4?

[yfd4]

conflicting information suugests two extremely opposite scenarios


this economic municipal  shortfall isnt too short and is a ruse to pass a 1/4% police-fire income tax in nov making youngstown the most expensive municipal tax rate at 2.75%


other scenario is that this is the real thing and is here to stay and could actually get WORSE in fiscal 2003 necessitating yet further economies

some years ago a similar prospect loomed on the horizon before a muny tax increase and the yfd was about to be reduced to 4 or 5 stations

downtown plus 7,6,3,and 2 or possibly less

you decide which scenario is likely
cause i dont know

[daysleeper47]

I have an idea, let's rescue the city of Youngstown from financial ruin by getting rid of the police and fire departments. We could return to bucket brigades and civilian patrols. We could hang all suspected criminals in Federal Plaza to save money from trials and since gas costs are rising, all PD cruisers and fire trucks would return to being pulled by horses. Come on folks, here's a plan that would really save this town! Who's with me?!