Belt-Tightening Time
JCC lays off staff members and cuts back on programs, but no services are eliminated —for now.
DIANA LIEBERMAN
Staff Writer
I
n response to growing budget
deficits, the Jewish Community
Center of Metropolitan Detroit
has instituted cost-cutting
measures aimed at reducing expendi-
tures by $250,000-$300,000 this fiscal
year.
To reach that amount, the JCC will
cut numerous full- and part-time jobs,
for an anticipated savings of $160,000
for the fiscal year that began June 1.
In addition to eliminating positions
and cutting workers' hours, the JCC
has asked each department to try to
reduce costs without affecting the
quality of service. Departments were
also asked to increase revenues.
As long as the new measures succeed
in making a dent in the deficit, which
reached $4 million during the last fiscal
year, hours at both the D. Dan and
Betty Kahn Building in West Bloomfield
and the Jimmy Prentis Morris Building
in Oak Park will remain the same with
no programs eliminated.
Once the budget situation improves,
the JCC may be able to fill vacant
positions, said David Sorkin, the
agency's executive director.
Deficit-reduction policies were put
into effect at the request of Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, of
which the JCC, celebrating its 75th
anniversary this year, is a constituent
agency. The JCC executive board
approved the budget-balancing meas-
ures July 11; JCC staff members
learned details at an agency-wide
meeting July 12.
"Obviously, they wouldn't have
made these cost cuts if the Federation
was going to continue to fund
deficits," said Dr. Richard Krugel, co-
chair of the Federation's JCC opera-
tions task force.
"When the Center came in with
their last budget after six months of
work, their deficit wasn't going to be
covered by their revenues, said co-
chair Douglas Bloom. "We requested
that a budget be made that would
more accurately reflect the Center's
operations as they currently exist."
Krugel said the task force did not
specify where cuts should be made.
"What we asked the Center to do was
to be as fiscally responsible as it could
be in terms of its budget," he said.
"Specifically, we didn't want to micro-
manage. We said, You're preparing your
budget, we're not preparing your budget."'
Cost In People
executive director. Bash, who will conti
Cuts in personnel are the largest part
ue working at the JCC for several more
of the deficit reduction plan because
weeks, was unavailable for comment.
personnel costs make up the largest
"Leslie has been a devoted employ
part of the JCC budget, the JCC's
of the Jewish Community Center an
Sorkin said.
has given maximum time,
Of the proposed $10.2
effort and energy to makii
million in expenditures for
the Center the success it d
2001 2002, the JCC had
today," said Sharon Hart,
anticipated $6.5 million in
who took over as JCC pre
personnel costs, before
ident last month.
deciding to cut staff hours.
"I have nothing negativ
Sorkin said it's too soon to
to say about her. This was
determine the exact number
strictly a financial deci-
of staff members who will be
sion."
leaving the agency. Some
Lawrence Wolfe, the
David So rkin
part-time employees are
JCC's immediate past pre
faced with cuts in hours.
dent, was out of town an
Other full- and part-time employees
unavailable for comment.
whose jobs were eliminated were given
The JCC Summer Day Camp too
the choice of accepting different posi-
a big cut in the number of part-rime
tions within the agency.
high school and college students on
At this point, it seems that total staff staff. Among the adults who receive
reductions, as determined in hours,
a pink slip is art specialist Iris Jaffe d
will be equivalent to six full-time posi-
Farmington Hills, who was working
tions, Sorkin said.
at the camp for her fifth year.
"The magnitude of this budget cut
Jaffe, a teacher in the Detroit Public
on the agency as a whole is not huge,
Schools, said she had no inkling the
but its impact on people is," he said.
cuts were coming. "It was like your b
"How does one decide what goes?"
friend you knew for years was getting
The highest-ranking position eliminat-
divorce and you knew nothing about
ed is that of Leslie Bash, JCC's associate
it," she said. "I was flabbergasted."
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JCC LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS
7/20
2001
14
AUDITED
May 31, 98
AUDITED
May 31, 99
AUDITED
May 31, 00
PROJECTED
May 31, 01
BUDGET
May 31, 02
May 31, 03
Program Service Fees
2,460,352
2,720,275
2,586,500
2,573,736
3,116,373
3,426,745
Membership Dues
1,914,735
1,961,338
2,121,484
1.988,342
2.225,357
Other Income
953,941
987,577
1,032,526
1,001,664
Total Direct Revenues
5,329,028
5,669,190
5,740,510
Jewish Federation Allocation
1,641,004
2,074,400
All Other (gifts, grants, etc.)
1,029,663
Total Allocated Revenues
PRO-FORMA
May 31, 04'
May 31, 05
May 31, 06
3,718,989
3,930.823
4.117,747
L972,864
2,456,951
2,862.544
2.881.050
955,797
1,005,325
1,435,885
1,625,761
1,794,384
5,563,742
6,297,527
6,404,934
8,793,181
2,315,800
2,543,440
2,385,978
7,611,825
2,186,417
8,419,129
2,109,909
2,184,873
2,181,468
1,027,074
1,113,776
1,410,216
1,434,940
1,461,752
1,489,369
1,517,814
1,547,112
2,670,667
3,101,474
3,223,685
3,726,016
3,978,380
3,847,730
3,675,785
3,702,687
3,728,581
Total Income
7,999,695
8,770,664
8,964,195
9,289,758
10,275,907
10,252,664
11,287,610
12,121,816
12,521,762
Total Expense
8,649,031
9,045,319
9,130,302
9,692,240
10,275,907
10,872,920
11,536,223
11,992,313
12,439,759
Operating Deficit
(649,336)
(274,655)
(166,107)
(402,482)
(620,256)
(248,613)
129,503
82,003