Council's Budget Fowl Coming Home To Roost In Mayor's Cuts

According to a Tennessean piece this week, we are now starting to see the cuts to services resulting from the Metro Council's stripped down version of the budget, which was passed at the end of June. You'll remember that Council member and Budget and Finance Chair Diane Neighbors responded to my request for the low down on effects for neighborhoods by writing, "In terms of the reductions, I believe only requests for new services were reduced or deleted."

Here are some of the actual reductions to services--currently under review in the Mayor's Office--as cited in the Tennessean:

• Postponement in opening new community centers
• Cuts in Bridges to Care pharmacy and flu vaccine clinic hours
• Hiring delay in libraries; Looby Library in North Nashville will close on Sundays; items patrons may check out cut from 50 to 25
• Restrictions on leave for fire fighters and possibly cutting the number of on-call fire fighters

Lord knows whether the chicken coop is full yet. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for any more cut back in neighborhood services. If anyone hears anything let me know.