City Of Dryden Looking At Massive Cuts

We could be seeing massive cuts in Dryden in return for a minimal tax increase.
City Manager Joe van Koeverden says they are now looking at a $522,000 operating deficit, which would result in a more than 5% tax increase.
Van Koeverden has provided a list of possible cuts in order to balance the budget.
Options include:
Closing the Milestone outdoor rink which will save $10,000 plus and reduce repair costs.
Converting the Dryden Museum to a seasonal facility.
Reducing hours of work for employees.
Reducing operating days for city services.
Cuts to library programs.
$43,000 in savings at the Dryden Development Corporation.
Closing one of the landfill sites or reducing hours.
Closing Aaron Park. (City operates the park on a deficit of $8,000-$10,000)
Van Koeverden says they have cut Camp Prospect but have kept the Dryden Youth Centre.
He notes all departments have made cuts and suffered job losses.
Van Koeverden also confirms that the Dryden Development Corporation will be facing job losses.
The City is trying to offset the million dollars in revenue it lost in the Dryden Mill reassessement.
Van Koeverden says $1 million in payroll cuts have resulted in about $500,000 in savings, due to severance costs
He says finding another half million to cut from a $15-million budget will be tough.