Council Adopts Mayor Reed's Budget Proposal and Reaches Agreements for Concessions with Additional Employee Unions
This month, the City Council approved agreements with six employee unions to reduce their total compensation by 10 percent. The last-minute agreements with CAMP, IBEW, AEA, AMSP, OE3, and ALP came after months of negotiations and will save millions of dollars that can be used to fund vital neighborhood services.
Under Mayor Reed's June Budget Message - which was adopted by the Council on June 17 - funds from these concessions are being used to help restore library hours to 4.5 days per week, keep open 22 community centers slated for closure, and provide additional funding for our crossing guard, park ranger and anti-graffiti programs. The Mayor's adopted budget plan also allocates extra funds from the Unemployment Insurance Reserve to minimize police layoffs (including staffing for the Sexual Assaults Investigation Unit) and directs that any concessions from the police and firefighter unions be used to restore positions in those departments. Learn more at the Mayor's Fiscal Responsibility webpage
"I want to thank each of these employees for sharing the pain and stepping forward to save services and jobs," said Mayor Reed. "These agreements represent an important step in the right direction, but we still have much work to do."
Without concessions from its other bargaining groups, the City will be forced to lay off hundreds of police officers and firefighters and make additional cuts in other core services. However, the City continues to negotiate with its remaining unions to achieve concessions that can save many of these jobs and services. Updates on labor negotiations can be found on the Office of Employee Relations website.
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| More San Jose Pools to Remain Open This Summer
Residents will have more places to cool off this summer, thanks to new agreements with private partners to keep city pools open. The Biebrach Pool (near Gardner Community Center) will be operated this summer in partnership with Sparkle Swim School, and California Sports Center will operate the Rotary Ryland Pool in downtown San Jose and the Fair Swim Center in East San Jose. In addition to city aquatics programs already being offered at Camden and Mayfair pools, these three pools will offer both recreation swimming and swim lessons to the public.
Furthermore, Almaden Lake will now be open for recreational swimming Wednesdays through Sundays as the result of a joint fundraising drive between Councilmember Nancy Pyle and numerous private donors.
These unique partnerships offer great news for families who were bracing for the closure of their neighborhood pools. As a result of the city's record budget deficit, the Council had voted in March to suspend the city's summer swim programs at a majority of its aquatics facilities and to negotiate with private service providers to operate the pools this summer. Read more about San Jose's Citywide Aquatics programs and register for summer swim lessons
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 San Jose to Host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team Trials
 On June 14, USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee announced that San Jose has been selected as the site of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for men's and women's gymnastics! "We are grateful for the trust USA Gymnastics has placed in our city for such a prestigious event," said Mayor Reed. "The Olympic Trials for gymnastics is among the crown jewels of events to host, and the celebration of selecting our Olympic Team will be one that is embraced by the entire community." Thanks to the San Jose Sports Authority, HP Pavilion and the numerous other partners who worked to bring this signature week-long sporting event to San Jose. Visit the official website for more information.
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Business License Tax Suspension Program Now Available
On May 11, the City Council approved a suspension of business license taxes for the first 1,000 businesses (with 35 or fewer employees) that sign a new or renewed lease between January 1, 2010 and September 1, 2010. This incentive was part of a package originally proposed by Mayor Reed and Councilmembers Liccardo, Herrera and Pyle to attract and retain businesses in the city during the current downturn. For more information about the business license tax suspension program, please contact Huey Dang of the Finance Department at (408) 535-7008. Read more about the business license tax suspension program
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Mayor Reed is on Facebook!
Connect with Mayor Reed on Facebook and YouTube to stay updated on the latest news and information.
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Don't Miss the 2010 CommUnity Resource Fair on Sunday, 6/27
Check out local services and resources for you and your family at the Mayor's Resource Fair June 27. Learn more
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Mineta SJ Airport:
New and Improved
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Sign Up for the County Emergency Alert System
Register to get emergency warnings sent directly to your cell phone, mobile device,
e-mail, or landline in the
event of a local emergency. |
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Make Downtown San Jose Your Summer Destination
Music in the Park, Starlight Cinemas, and the San Pedro Farmer's Market are just some of the activities happening downtown this summer. Learn more
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Vote for America's Best Rose Garden
Help the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden win the title of "America's Best Rose Garden" by voting before
July 1! Learn more
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