Tulsa Cuts Impact Every City Department, Including Mayor's Office

By Emory Bryan, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Some viewers of The News On 6 are asking why city of Tulsa employees are being laid off when there could be cuts higher up, including in the mayor's office.

The answer -- the cuts are impacting every city department, including the smaller ones, such as the mayor's office. Mayor Taylor's staff is in fact smaller and less expensive than what's allowed by the budget.

Not all of the people who work on the top floor of city hall work directly for the mayor. Some are civil service employees and some are political appointments who serve at the pleasure of whoever holds the mayor's office.

The Tulsa mayor's staff can include up to 16 "At Will" positions. Those are employees the mayor can hire and fire. The mayor sets their salaries as long as it's within budget. The employees receive standard city benefits.

"Situation with the staff is that the charter authorizes 16 and current staffing is at 12," said Mike Bunney, Mayor Taylor's staff.

The cost of the mayor's staff has fluctuated over the years, but is down from years past.

In 2006, the mayor's staff salaries amounted to $875,000. That's gone up and down in the last few years, but in the current budget, with cutbacks, is $920,000.

• 2007 $1,074,000
• 2008 $993,000
• 2009 $1,158,000
• 2010 $920,000

"We have determined because of the change in revenue that we need to spend less. Department heads have come forward and say, ‘here's where we can spend less,'" Mayor Kathy Taylor said Tuesday.

The Tulsa mayor's salary is set by charter at $105,000. Mayor Taylor has, since taking office, accepted no salary and pays her own travel expenses.

"Basically everything we've asked the other departments to do, we've done in the mayor's office," said Mike Bunney.

"(The mayor's office) has had furloughs and a layoff, just like everybody else," said Mike Bunney.

The mayor's current roster of 12 employees includes a lawyer and the police chief, so the salaries vary, but it totals $920,000 if you figure in the cuts made to current budget.

10/27/2009 Related Story: Thirty-Seven Tulsa City Employees Get Pink Slips