Chillicothe announces layoffs of police, firefighters to cut deficit
By
-
The city of Chillicothe has announced the layoffs of 10 firefighters and police officers in order to help close a budget deficit of an estimated half a million dollars, the Chillicothe Gazette reported Friday.
"The cuts would reduce the city's budget by about $286,206, but if all laid-off employees opt to carry COBRA health insurance, the actual savings to the city could come in instead at $264,402," the Gazette reported. "Mayor Joe Sulzer said the quarterly report at the end of July showed revenues remained low, and the city would need to make about $500,000 in cuts to finish the year in the black. 'It left me no choice but to begin looking at layoffs beginning Sept. 24,' Sulzer said."
It was also announced that the firefighter and police officer unions had voted to accept a decrease in pay of 2 percent.
According to the Gazette, the three bargaining units supported a .04 "safety tax" increase to the city's income tax and "The request for an additional income tax will be on the November ballot. If passed, it would bring the city's income tax to 2 percent. In the meantime, Sulzer admitted there would have to be more cuts to balance this year's budget. The additional income tax would bring in about $2.7 million, but the city is facing a $2.3 million deficit in 2011."
Additionally, the newspaper reported, "The fire department also has made changes to its overtime policy that should result in a savings of 1,560 overtime hours. (Aaron Knotts, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 300) said the yearly savings could be as much as $57,000 with the policy change.
"Though safety services took heavy cuts, other departments in the city didn't take much of a hit. The only cut in the mayor's staff was one of three secretarial positions through attrition. That secretary had been earning $34,881 at her current position, but will start work as the civil service administrator next week earning $38,272 per year," the Gazette reported.
The city of Chillicothe has announced the layoffs of 10 firefighters and police officers in order to help close a budget deficit of an estimated half a million dollars, the Chillicothe Gazette reported Friday.
"The cuts would reduce the city's budget by about $286,206, but if all laid-off employees opt to carry COBRA health insurance, the actual savings to the city could come in instead at $264,402," the Gazette reported. "Mayor Joe Sulzer said the quarterly report at the end of July showed revenues remained low, and the city would need to make about $500,000 in cuts to finish the year in the black. 'It left me no choice but to begin looking at layoffs beginning Sept. 24,' Sulzer said."
It was also announced that the firefighter and police officer unions had voted to accept a decrease in pay of 2 percent.
According to the Gazette, the three bargaining units supported a .04 "safety tax" increase to the city's income tax and "The request for an additional income tax will be on the November ballot. If passed, it would bring the city's income tax to 2 percent. In the meantime, Sulzer admitted there would have to be more cuts to balance this year's budget. The additional income tax would bring in about $2.7 million, but the city is facing a $2.3 million deficit in 2011."
Additionally, the newspaper reported, "The fire department also has made changes to its overtime policy that should result in a savings of 1,560 overtime hours. (Aaron Knotts, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 300) said the yearly savings could be as much as $57,000 with the policy change.
"Though safety services took heavy cuts, other departments in the city didn't take much of a hit. The only cut in the mayor's staff was one of three secretarial positions through attrition. That secretary had been earning $34,881 at her current position, but will start work as the civil service administrator next week earning $38,272 per year," the Gazette reported.
[[In-content Ad]]