Layoffs delayed; 46 positions to be cut

"We're steadfast in our goals of avoiding layoffs," he said.

In the Police Department alone, three officers, a sergeant, a dispatcher and a community liaison analyst are being cut. It's not the only department that's taking a hit - nearly all departments are reducing staff.

As of late January, 13 of the positions identified for elimination were filled.

Those employees identified for layoffs will continue working for at least six months into the new fiscal year, de Russy said. Every year, the city openings occur through natural attrition - meaning employees either retire, move away or find another job. As those openings occur, the hope is that the city will be able to reshuffle those identified for layoffs into those openings.

"Time is on our side," de Russy said.

All those who could be cut are aware of their situation, de Russy said. Officials pink slips probably wouldn't go out until late summer.

Whether enough positions will open up is yet to be seen, however.

"We're not saying there will or there won't be layoffs," de Russy said. "By the time we take action, who know what the actual number of vacant positions will be."

The elimination of 46 positions brings the total reduction of city positions to 93 over the past two years - meaning bigger work loads for remaining staff. These employees have not gotten a raise in more than two years.

The current budget - which must be approved by the City Council in June - provides for a raise in the neighborhood of about 1 percent to 2 percent for city employees.

The $4 million being carved from the budget represents a 5 percent reduction - that's on top of the 10 percent reduction the city already made last year.

The dramatic reductions are the result of a perfect storm of factors - a bad economy, increasing expenditures to the public employee retirement fund, and worst of all, continuing state raids on local funds.

Yunmi Choi can be reached by e-mail at yunmi@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109.