AntiochPress_07.10.09

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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa

Vol. 9, No. 28

Including Nearby Communities

Budget deficit grows to $6.6M by Dave Roberts Staff Writer The City of Antioch’s budget crisis has gone from bad to worse after recent property reassessments further lowered tax revenues, saving money for homeowners but turning a $4.5 million city budget deficit into a $6.6 million shortfall. “It’s a significant gap,” said City Manager Jim Jakel in a phone interview Wednesday. “It’s a significant challenge to maintain levels of service across all departments and be able to not have even more severe reductions.” Making that challenge even more challenging is the pressure that has been placed on city officials to not cut police officers. So far, sworn officer positions (those carrying guns and exercising full police powers) have been spared while 27 other city positions have been cut. As a result, of the 227 city employees currently on the job whose pay and benefits are provided through the city’s General Fund,

only 70 are not involved in law enforcement, according to Jakel. There are currently 54 vacant city positions, 37 of which do not involve law enforcement. “It’s a pretty amazing number,” he said. “That’s why the task is pretty daunting. There’s just not that many people (left). When you have 37 vacancies already in the organization, that’s pretty remarkable – over one-third of General Fund positions are already vacant. It’s pretty incredible.” The City Council’s budget subcommittee of Mayor Jim Davis and Council Brian Kalinowski met Tuesday night to consider more than two dozen budget-cutting options, according to Jakel. Some of those options will be discussed by the full council at an open-to-the-public budget workshop on Tuesday, July 14 at 6 p.m. in the council chambers, and possibly adopted in the regular council meeting that follows the workshop.

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Fabulous Fourth

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July 10, 2009

THIS WEEK

Compassion harvested

A local church decided that compassion means more than cultivating warm emotions toward those in need.

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Rumor has it Photo by Michael DiGuido

ancers Elite performers point to a perfect sky during the Antioch Fourth of July Parade on Saturday. Thousands of people lined the downtown parade route, enjoying live music and the always spectacular over-the-river fireworks show that followed. “I’m so glad they still do this here,” said Biendra Koehne from her curbside vantage point. “People really need to get back to simple things in their own home (town); not always spend money and time driving somewhere else for entertainment when there’s great stuff right outside their front door.”

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Talk About Town gives you our insider’s take on congressional candidate Mark DeSaulnier’s encounter with an opponent’s volunteers.

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Sockin’ and rollin’

see Budget page 18A

Acting superintendent outlines goals by Dave Roberts Staff Writer On a table inside the Antioch Unified School District administration building is a stack of district newsletters featuring an article entitled “Greetings from the Superintendent” and a photo of a smiling Deborah Sims. But, although she will continue to collect paychecks for the next seven weeks on her $182,712 salary, Sims, like Elvis, has left the building. She announced her resignation in May (effective Aug. 31) after less than three years on the job just as the school board was about to review her job performance. Rather than allow her to continue to exercise full control over the district’s operations, the board then quickly promoted Director of Curriculum and Instruction Donald Gill to the role of acting superintendent. And he is now running the show, although Sims remains available to answer questions by phone or

Acting Superintendent Donald Gill has taken over the reins of the Antioch Unified School District following the resignation of Deborah Sims. Photo by Dave Roberts

e-mail. Gill will be in charge for the next four to six weeks, after which the board members might appoint him interim superintendent or perhaps even give him the permanent job if they decide not to seek other applicants. Gill said he would accept the top job if offered.

In an interview Monday in Sims’ now-vacant office, Gill discussed his three priorities for however long he will be in charge of a district with a $100 million-plus budget, nearly 20,000 students, nearly 1,000 teachers and 25 schools.

Find it fast!

see Goals page 18A

Roller derby divas with names like Sew Evil and Cemetery Mary are bringing raucous entertainment back to Antioch.

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INSIDE Calendar ..........................23B Classifieds ........................16B Cop Logs ..........................16A Entertainment ................14B Food .................................12B Health & Beauty .............10B Milestones ......................... 8B Opinion ...........................15A Sports ................................. 1B Talk About Town ..............5A WebExtras! ....................... 1B

Everything local.

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FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A


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