South Portland City Manager Jeff Jordan has asked city councilors to reinstate several positions and items he cut from his preliminary city budget.

In a memo to the City Council, Jordan said that though the budget falls under the constraints of the council’s targeted 4.6 percent spending increase, it also cuts city services that make South Portland a desirable place to live.

With a 4.6 percent increase, the city’s budget alone would raise the tax rate by 27 cents for every $1,000 of property value. The city budget coupled with the proposed school budget would raise the tax rate by 81 cents for every $1,000 of property value. The proposed school budget increases spending by approximately 5.4 percent. The council’s spending target applied to both the city and school budgets.

Keeping in line with the spending limits requested by the council, Jordan said he cut several items, including two switchboard operators at $29,000, a public works laborer at $49,000, overtime for the public works department at $20,000 and public works vehicle supplies at $10,000. Those cuts trimmed about $108,000 from the budget.

“These reductions have a significant impact on the organization, employee morale, and over time the ability to provide the outstanding services that our public has come to rely on,” said Jordan.

Jordan also asked the council to consider funding a new position for an IT helpdesk person at about $25,000.

Assistant City Manager Jim Gailey called the budget “slim.” “There’s not a lot of nickels in it,” said Gailey, who was recently named interim city manager.

Gailey said the cuts would compromise city services. He said cutting the switchboard positions sacrifices customer service coming out of City Hall and residents will notice losing a public works laborer when they request curb and other miscellaneous repairs this summer. Gailey said the loss of the public works laborer and overtime money would prevent public works from responding to every resident request.

“The calls keep on coming but we just keep getting further and further behind.” Gailey said. He added that public works is an easy target for staff reductions because that department has the most employees, but Gailey maintains, “they are grossly understaffed.”

Councilor Claude Morgan said the targeted increase is just that, a target. Though the council prefers reaching the target, “it’s not set in stone,” he said.

Morgan called South Portland a service rich community. Maintaining those services that attract residents is important to Morgan. And it is possible that the council will go along with Jordan’s request to reinstate money for positions and other budget items, he said.

Morgan said that he is taking direction from the city manager’s request. “If Jeff Jordan says these are important to maintain a level of service,” then he would consider it, said Morgan.

The council is in the preliminary stages of budget approval and hasn’t discussed the merits of the budget yet, said Morgan.