Nutter says city to cut $20 million dollars

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter says the city will start cutting an additional $20 million dollars from the budget because the state Senate has yet to take action on the city’s budget requests.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter says the city will start cutting an additional $20 million dollars from the budget because the state Senate has yet to take action on the city’s budget requests. In order to balance the budget, the city sought permission from Harrisburg to raise the sales tax by 1% and make changes to the pension financing. But the deadline for passage has passed.

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Without the increase in sales tax, Mayor Nutter says the city will lose $20 million dollars in projected revenue for the months of August and September. Pink slips have already gone out to 12 employees, and about 100 new police cadets will have their training postponed. Even the Mayor’s signature 311 call center will reduce its hours of operations. Mayor Nutter says this is the beginning of a budget plan that will include the loss of 3,000 positions.

Nutter: I don’t like these cuts, I don’t like plan C, I can’t stand plan C. It’s nothing that, any city should have to go through. But its certainly not anything that the city of Philadelphia, the birthplace of liberty, freedom and democracy should have to experience.

Republican leader of the State Senate Dominic Pileggi says the bill will likely pass, but only with amendments. It is scheduled to be taken up by the Senate finance committee on Wednesday.