Newshound 8/19/2009

- Council rejects entertainment tax, proposes furloughs
- Fire union agrees to wage freeze
- Omaha beltway?

More after the jump ...

Council rejects entertainment tax, proposes furloughs

The Omaha city council sided with restaurants, clubs and bars with their 6-1 vote against Mayor Jim Suttle's proposed entertainment tax. Ben Gray was the only council member to vote in favor of the tax. The tax would have generated an estimated $2 million annually for the city. Suttle proposed the tax to help close the $12 million budget shortfall the city faces next year.

Calling a tax increase a last resort, the next day five council members presented a plan to cut more than $11 million from next years budget. The bulk of the savings would come from two week furloughs for all city employees — including police and fire — which would create an estimated $7.6 million in savings. Annoucing the cuts were Pete Festersen, Garry Gernandt, Chuck Sigerson, Jean Stothert and Franklin Thompson.

Fire union agrees to wage freeze
The Omaha Fire Union has agreed to a two year wage freeze, but neither city or union officials said what the firefighters would get in return. The announcement from Mayor Jim Suttle and Union President Steve LeClair came as city and union officials work on a 5-year fire contract.

Firefighters were expecting a 3 percent raise in 2009 and 2010. That's around $3,100 pay cut over two years for the average lowest rank firefighter making a base pay of $51,189. The plan is expected to save the city $10 million in two years.

Teen shot in North-O
An 18-year-old boy walked into Creighton University Hospital Aug. 18 with an apparent gunshot wound. The victim told Omaha Police he was standing outside 4229 Miami St., when four suspects up the street shot him. His injuries are not considered to be life threatening. Police have not made any arrests.

OPS gets Bill Gates foundation grant
Omaha Public Schools are inline to receive $500 million a year for five years from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Over the past few months, OPS operations were thoroughly reviewed by foundation staff. OPS will reportedly use the money to recruit top-notch teachers.

Omaha beltway?
In an effort to reduce commutes times and ease traffic congestion, a plans for an Omaha beltway were presented to the Douglas County Board. The Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, along with the engineering firm HDR Inc. presented plans for a highway loop around the metro area. The study is still in its infancy, with no word on estimated costs, or where the beltway would travel. Beltways in Washington D.C. and Boston have been linked to creating more urban sprawl and increasing commute times.