City staff doing more with less

A recent study gave Yuma County a stress index of 28.37 percent - the second worse in the nation among counties with more than 25,000 residents. The stress index was derived after experts studied unemployment, foreclosure and bankruptcy rates for each county. In this series, the Yuma Sun talks to local businesses and organizations to see how they've fared in this economy.

For an answer to how the city is dealing with the stress of the troubled economy, City Administrator Greg Wilkinson pointed to the recently released midyear crime statistics that show a decline in most of the categories.

Only simple assault showed an increase while there was a decline in all property crimes, Yuma Police Chief Jerry Geier reported to the Yuma City Council Sept. 1.

“I think that speaks well of the police department,” Wilkinson said. And that's with the department short a total of 28 people, among them five officers on the streets.

But it's also a tribute to the community, Wilkinson said.

“With the people who don't have jobs, you would think the statistics would be up. But the statistics don't show that. Perhaps people are more community-oriented.”

For example, during the severe storm Aug. 26 that struck the city's North End particularly hard, Wilkinson said he was aware of only one incident of robbery.

“Maybe the cops are doing a better job,” Wilkinson said. On the other hand, there were a lot of reports of people pitching in and helping out their neighbors, he said.

That could be seen at the site the city set up for homeowners to drop off green waste from the storm, where others would come by to help unload the tree limbs and other plant debris.

“The community has been part of the cleanup and part of the solution.”

That's helpful in these lean times when the city has had to trim its budget and pare back its staff, he said.

With all revenue sources down, the city's general fund budget for the current fiscal year at $51.7 million is less than what it was in 2005-06 when the community was smaller.

As a result, Wilkinson said, “everyone is having to do a little more with a little less.”

He noted that the city is down 154 employees from two years ago, a 17 percent decrease.

“As people left, we decided with each position whether to refill it. Or people were moved around. We moved responsibilities around.”

In one such move, a building inspector now conducts inspections for both Community Development and the Yuma Fire Department.

His own staff has been reduced from nine people to himself and an assistant — a little too lean, Wilkinson said. The mayor and council's office now has one secretary after a second one retired.

That means, Wilkinson said, that when people call his office during lunch, the phones go to voice mail.

“Every department has cut back. We looked at where the city needed to be for the next couple of years. I think we're there.”

In many ways, the city is making do.

Police cruisers are getting new transmissions instead of being replaced.

Overtime has been cut aggressively, although the city had to tap its contingency fund to keep crews on the street to deal with the aftermath of the recent storm.

Wilkinson said employees also have been told if they see something wasteful, they don't have to do it, such as not replacing a still usable part. The money saved adds up, which means they won't have to take furloughs.

“Employees are taking this seriously. I think the employees are handling things well. It's not so much stress as a handling a heavier workload.”