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ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
The City of St. Louis has to cut $45 million from its budget, and the creative proposals to get there are proving rather unpopular among taxpayers. The standing room only crowd at the Board of Aldermen committee hearing Wednesday night groaned when the city talked about cutting trash pickup in half, and groaned even louder when the city mentioned charging victims of house fires for firefighters' services.
"That's just a bad idea," said IAFF Local 73 President Chris Molitor.
Everything is just a proposal for now. The list of options is long and decisions are far from made, say aldermen.
The issue that drew the crowd to the meeting was trash. The city could save by cutting pickup to once a week, or even charging for the service, which has always been free to city residents.
"I feel like especially when summer time comes, once a week pickup is not going to work," said North St. Louis resident Verlee Eddings, who came to voice her opposition.
A proposal to outsource some emergency services outraged Molitor and fellow firefighters, as well. That would mean hiring private ambulance companies to do what city paramedics currently do.
"Our people are by far the most epxerienced paramedics and EMTs in the St. Louis metro area, and the city of St. Louis deserves the best," says Molitor. "Government exists to protect citizens and keep them safe, so you have to have a good fire service and a good emergency medical service. St. Louis has the best in the midwest, we'll put ours up to anyone else. The citizens deserve it."
Wednesday night was the first meeting of the budget committee. The full board of aldermen must approve a budget by the end of June.
51 jobs from its street department could be slashed, but there is still no word on how much the city would save by eliminating those positions.
Other possible cuts include reducing street light cost by using more energy efficient fixtures and cutting Forest park rangers.
Mayor Slay's spokesperson, Jeff Rainford, says it's the city's pension plan that's causing the massive shortfall. He sys police, fire and many city workers have pensions that are virtually guaranteed.
"That's just a bad idea," said IAFF Local 73 President Chris Molitor.
Everything is just a proposal for now. The list of options is long and decisions are far from made, say aldermen.
The issue that drew the crowd to the meeting was trash. The city could save by cutting pickup to once a week, or even charging for the service, which has always been free to city residents.
"I feel like especially when summer time comes, once a week pickup is not going to work," said North St. Louis resident Verlee Eddings, who came to voice her opposition.
A proposal to outsource some emergency services outraged Molitor and fellow firefighters, as well. That would mean hiring private ambulance companies to do what city paramedics currently do.
"Our people are by far the most epxerienced paramedics and EMTs in the St. Louis metro area, and the city of St. Louis deserves the best," says Molitor. "Government exists to protect citizens and keep them safe, so you have to have a good fire service and a good emergency medical service. St. Louis has the best in the midwest, we'll put ours up to anyone else. The citizens deserve it."
Wednesday night was the first meeting of the budget committee. The full board of aldermen must approve a budget by the end of June.
51 jobs from its street department could be slashed, but there is still no word on how much the city would save by eliminating those positions.
Other possible cuts include reducing street light cost by using more energy efficient fixtures and cutting Forest park rangers.
Mayor Slay's spokesperson, Jeff Rainford, says it's the city's pension plan that's causing the massive shortfall. He sys police, fire and many city workers have pensions that are virtually guaranteed.
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