25LINKBUDGET(FULL) - Flipbook - Page 40
City of Plymouth 2024 / 2025 Budget
Full-Time Equivalent Staffing
Like most municipal governments and service agencies, the City of Plymouth's primary
operating expense is personnel. The following pages provide a summary, by department, of
full-time equivalent staffing levels over the past twelve years, including proposed levels for
the upcoming budget year. The following is a brief overview of significant historical events
that have considerably influenced City staffing levels:
The most significant changes in staffing occurred in the mid-2000s, marked by the elimination
of seventeen full-time positions during the adoption of budgets for the 2004/05 and 2005/06
fiscal years. The majority of these reductions resulted from voluntary departures or early
retirements. These actions led to a reduction in expenditures of nearly $1,200,000, facilitating
the adoption of a balanced budget for fiscal year 2004/05. Despite an additional projected
deficit of slightly over $609,000 for fiscal year 2005/06, improved general revenue and tax
collections, along with ongoing voluntary employee departures, contributed to the
elimination of funding shortfalls for the 2007/08 and 2008/09 fiscal years. The economic
challenges arising from financial market problems in the fall of 2008 necessitated additional
measures such as deficit projections without increased revenues, cuts in general service
levels, or both.
In February 2015, the City Commission authorized an election to propose a maximum 1.5 mill
public safety levy. The millage aimed to fund the hiring of two additional police officers and
other costs related to police, fire, and ambulance services. Although the election failed by a
550-594 vote, commitments were made in late 2014 by both the City Commission and the
Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to fund one additional police position.
In the late 2010s, a strategic shift towards succession planning occurred, with less emphasis
placed on staffing levels and a greater focus directed towards enhancing structural
capabilities within departments. In the 2019/20 fiscal year, the City Commission authorized
the addition of one sergeant for the Police Department, bringing the total from three to four
sergeants. Despite this addition, the total staff size of the Police Department remained at 17
full-time members. In 2021/22, a full-time Deputy Director was added to the Recreation
Department. Additionally, further organizational changes have taken place within the Finance
Department, Municipal Services Department, as well as the DDA and Community
Development Departments.
Presently, the primary staffing challenge confronting the City is recruitment and retention.
This issue is accentuated by the difficulty of recruiting and hiring a full-time police officer, as
well as numerous part-time and summer laborer positions. However, this has provided the
City with the opportunity to strengthen its recruitment strategies and enhance employee
retention initiatives.
For the 2024/25 fiscal year, there are no additional staffing request at this time.
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