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Nutter's budget cuts find their first victim

The first casualty of city belt-tightening came yesterday when Mayor Nutter canceled plans to hire a $100,000-a-year press aide for the managing director.

The first casualty of city belt-tightening came yesterday when Mayor Nutter canceled plans to hire a $100,000-a-year press aide for the managing director.

The job offer had been made to Sheila Ballen, a former communications director for the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Ballen had not yet started work for Managing Director Camille Barnett. Nutter said that the job offer was made before he announced the city's financial distress. He rescinded the offer yesterday.

Last week, Nutter announced that the city faces a $450 million shortfall over the next five years, due to over-optimistic business- tax-revenue projections and a severe tax-market hit on the city pension plan.

Nutter last week promised department budget cuts and said he may slow tax reductions. He added that all hiring would be carefully reviewed.

Yesterday, Nutter said that he also had "asked our folks to look at the slightly unique circumstance of where we previously extended the offer [but the person hadn't started.]"

Ballen fell into that category. Nutter said that he reviewed the situation over the weekend. He said that the job had been created largely to promote the PhillyStat data-mapping program and the planned 3-1-1 nonemergency call line, both initiatives of the managing director.

Nutter said that although he supports having a dedicated communications person for those programs, this was not the right time for such a hire.

"This has nothing to do with [Ballen]," Nutter said. "The city would be very fortunate to have her working with us."

Ballen, long active in civic life, ran unsuccessfully for state representative in 2004.

The planned $100,000 salary was up there with the paychecks of some of Nutter's top officials. Spokesman Doug Oliver, for example, makes $120,000.

Nutter did not know how many other individuals might be reviewed who have gotten city job offers but have not started work. *