The General Manager's initial proposals were submitted to Manchester's Board of Directors in early March. Though he called for an overall increase in the budget for 2010 to 2001, Scott Shanley proposed cuts to municipal services and unspecified concessions from the Town's workforce.

By the time the Board of Directors unveiled a scaled-back version of the General Manager's budget with even further cuts last week, members of both our Council 760 Chapters representing Town municipal service workers had met to discuss the situation.

They resolved that their past and present contributions to help the Town weather the current and previous economic crises should be part of ongoing budget deliberations. Their letter to the General Manager, which was signed by Chapter I27 President Scott Neff and Chapter I28 President Jim Davis, was also provided to the members of the Board of Directors.

They also determined to share their history of stepping forward in difficult times to preserve services that residents need and deserve with the public. The day after the letter was submitted, we issued a press release to remind the community that the members of our two Chapters agreed to give back $140,000.00 in labor cost savings last April to help balance the current fiscal year's budget.

Our members' letter helped generate a lengthy article in Monday's Journal Inquirer that included some of Jim's comments from the press statement. The reporter also listed several examples of cost savings our members have produced to provide relief for local taxpayers in economic downturns over the past two decades.

Some who read the article might come away with the impression that our members have already decided against any further labor cost savings. The same day we submitted our letter laying out past contributions, Council 4 AFSCME, which represents several other employee bargaining units, announced their members had in fact voted against agreeing to any additional concessions, and their position was covered in the same article.

Our members are still considering this question. And with the General Manager's proposal for a six-month wage freeze and a furlough day quoted in Monday's article, followed by the Board of Directors' vote on Tuesday to adopt a reduced budget, they are now better prepared to make an informed decision.

Chapter I27 members who are the town's supervisory employees are meeting next Tuesday, April 20 at 4:45 PM to plan for a vote that will take place the following day on whether to discuss any further labor cost savings with the Administration.

Public service workers in residual job classifications who are members of Chapter I28 will meet next Wednesday, April 20 at the same time. Their vote on the question of whether or not to enter into concessions discussions will be held on Thursday.

Going forward, our members understand that the larger question of how to preserve public services in a tough economy must also be answered. That requires everyone in Manchester, from its residents to its elected officials, to answer the question of what kind of town they want to be in the future.

Share your suggestions for increasing municipal government efficiency, improving the delivery of services, and saving local taxpayers money. Tell us how to help Manchester remain the 'city of village charm' -- and keep it from ending up like other Connecticut towns that have made deep cuts that cost their quality of life.

Send them to me -- and if you are a Manchester public service worker, be sure to share them with your Chapter President, too.