Raleigh manager proposes $634M budget

Allen's proposed $634.9 million budget is an increase over last year's $619 million budget, but it maintains the city's property tax rate at 37.35 cents per $100 of value.

The budget would eliminate 32 vacant positions, including a dozen from the Solid Waste Services Department. Allen said these positions could be eliminated without reductions to service because of a new automated curbside recycling program and through staff reorganization.

Ten civilian positions with the police department are also targeted for elimination. Allen has proposed that police and fire academies be delayed by six months.

City employees wouldn’t receive merit raises under the budget, and Raleigh also would cut its contribution to the supplemental retirement program for city workers to 2 percent.

The staff reductions and compensation modifications would save the city about $5.7 million, officials said.

The proposed budget also affects employee health-care costs which, officials said, have increased more than 8.8 percent over the past fiscal year. The city is looking at introducing a two-tier option that includes a health insurance premium for all employees.

The proposal also reduces arts funding by 50 cents per capita, to $4 per capita, and trims the city's Human Services funding by 10 percent.

A public hearing on the proposed budget is planned for June 7 at 7 p.m. at the council chamber of the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex, 222 W. Hargett St.