Lodi could save $130,000 per year by cutting number of cell phones, city manager says

The city of Lodi could save an estimated $130,000 per year if it closed all 225 of its employee cell phone accounts, Lodi City Manager Dixon Flynn said. That cost has jumped some $50,000 since 2000.

The idea is among cost-cutting options Flynn is examining. Other public agencies are also seeing how much they can trim from their cell phone bills, which can be substantial.

For example, San Joaquin County cut $100,000 from its cell phone total but still spends $500,000 per year on cell phones.

Cutting cell phones may be part of Flynn's recommendations under a second phase of his budget plan.

"The number does seem high and I have to figure out why it jumped," Flynn said Tuesday. "That's why I am getting all the information together."

Flynn is having the Finance Department compile details on who has cell phones and what calling plans are used. The city subscribes to a combination of Verizon, Nextel and AT&T, and is seeking information directly from the cell phone providers.

Flynn is not prepared to make a recommendation on what cell phone accounts should be canceled.

"But you can bet there will be a lot less cell phones when this is over," he said.

Councilman Keith Land was shocked at the number of cell phones and their annual cost.

"It is way out of line," he said. "We should have been looking at this years ago. I can't believe 225 of our employees need a cell phone. That's half the staff."

There are 475 city employees.

"Something needs to be done about it," Land said.

But Mayor Larry Hansen is not ready to take all city cell phones away, claiming that certain positions, like those in public safety, require another emergency form of communication in case of radio failure.

All patrol cars and fire engines are currently outfitted with the phones.

Also, having a cell phone sometimes saves time, Hansen said. For example, before the phones were available, building inspectors had to visit one site

at a time then return to the office with documents and direction on where to go next, he said.

"Rather than take a full swipe, we need to look at cell phones on an individual basis," Hansen said. "If we take away someone's cell phone and save $30, but it takes them more time to do their job, in my opinion we're shooting ourselves in the foot. I'm not opposed to looking into cutting cell phones. Let's just be judicious and look at it practically."

The city's $5.4 million budget shortfall is the result of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's repeal of the state vehicle license fee increase Nov. 17. That money goes into cities' general funds; in Lodi, it makes up about 13 percent of the operating budget.

In a story in 2000, the News-Sentinel reported that the Police Department spends nearly half of the $81,000 annually on cell phones.

At that time, 175 city staff were authorized to carry cell phones, including employees in the Public Works, Fire and Police departments. In addition, all building inspectors and utility workers carried them and police volunteers use them when they are on duty.

Today, there are 225 cell phone users, Flynn said.

Land feels only department heads and particular positions should be dependent on cell phones.

"If you spend more than 50 percent of your time in the office, I don't see the need," he said. "I want a list of everyone who has a cell phone. What criteria do we use to give people cell phones?"

Flynn said each is on the recommendation of the department head. He hopes to find out more information later this week or next.

Police brass review cell use

Lodi Police Capt. David Main said his department is already looking at cutting its cell phone budget.

"The chief pays his own and I'm going to start doing it, too," he said. "In tough budget times like these, you look closely at a lot of things."

Lodi Fire Chief Michael Pretz said cell phones are used by firefighters on scene to call in responsible parties for false fire alarms.

"We also use them to send information such as phone numbers that shouldn't be broadcast over the radio and heard by anyone who has a scanner."

Pretz carries a city cell phone and uses it to do business while driving or walking between meetings.

The city of Galt had no information Tuesday on how many employees use cell phones, or what their costs are. City Manager Ted Anderson and Finance Director Inez Kiriu are on vacation this week.

Deputy City Clerk Sue Cory said the city budget doesn't distinguish between cell phone use and other phone service. Several city employees said it would take considerable research through each department to determine Galt's cell phone use -- research that would be impossible to complete in a timely manner.

The city uses Nextel.

County cuts $100,000

The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors is also looking at trimming the county's cell phone budget.

Supervisor Steve Gutierrez asked that the expense be reduced during budget discussions earlier this year. At that time, the phone bills totaled $600,000.

But through cut backs on cell phones and reduced use by certain departments, the phone bill has been slashed by $100,000.

Gutierrez said recently he isn't happy because the bill is still $500,000. He wanted a larger cut.

Schools are also looking at hanging up on big cell phone bills.

Lodi Unified School District was ahead of the game. Last year, the district was mandated to cut $40,000 worth of cell phone usage out of the 2003-04 budget.

Employees were using the Nextel two-way phones that had a walkie-talkie feature. But this year the district dropped the contract, which was costing the district a monthly average of $36 per phone and went with a Cingular Wireless plan which now costs the district $28 per phone, per month, said Cricket Koch, LUSD's director of purchasing.

LUSD also reduced the number of people who get to use the phones. Only those who are not easily reached by a regular phone like the superintendent, school principals and maintenance and operation staff on call, receive cell phones.

Lodi Unified dropped the number of people allowed to use cell phones from 210 to 140, cutting out all clerical use of the phones and maintenance and operation workers not on call, Koch said.

She is anticipating an annual savings of more than $40,000.

Employees in the Galt Union High School District also use their cell phones only for emergencies. They have 34 whose total cost are $12,000 to $15,000 annually, depending on the year, said Darlene Waddle, the district's business manager.

The amount has increased over the years but not much, she added.

Three years ago, the district contracted with Nextel for a specific dollar amount of $21.99 per phone per month. The district's plan includes a two-way radio feature that is exclusively Nextel's design, the same type of phone use by LUSD.

The same plan today would cost the district $35 per phone per month, like LUSD, Waddle said.

Administrators, maintenance staff, secretaries, safety personnel, campus supervisors and school nurses all get cell phones at the school district.

"We use them to communicate with each other and our main reason for having them is for safety purposes," Waddle said. "People on campus can radio for help. One great thing about the two-way radio, is the walkie-talkie feature. You can say: 'Hey I need you here and not actually wait for a phone connection to actually happen.'"

The district's use of cell phones is being looked at as a place to cut costs for next year. Waddle plans to prioritize the use of cell phones, in terms of who needs them most where safety is concerned.

A representative from Galt Elementary School could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

News-Sentinel staff writers Ross Farrow and Alejandro Lazo, and San Joaquin News Service's Les Mahler contributed to this report.

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Lodi could save $130,000 per year by cutting number of cell phones, city manager says

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