Across the Board Cuts Ordered for Metro Budget Proposals

Another year, another budget, and another round of cuts in Nashville: Metro department heads have been told to shave 2 percent off their spending plans for the next fiscal year. Finance Director Rich Riebeling anticipates the mark can be met by making little changes here and there.

“It’s a small number, but gotta go through the exercise to show taxpayers we’re trying to save dollars wherever we can.”

That’s on top of changes the administration is trying to make to the city’s worker’s compensation program. Riebeling says the cost of offering leave time and monetary payments to injured city workers has grown at a faster rate than other expenses. A proposal currently under review by the Civil Service Commission would cut injury pay by a third.