Warren mayor Michael O'Brien will ask city council to approve cutting 40 city jobs from next year's budget. He says the cuts are necessary because the city lost $200,000 in investments this year, and is collecting $800,000 less income tax than when it was introduced in 2002. At the same time about 1,100 jobs will be lost from the nearby Lordstown General Motors plant by January.
O'Brien: "It's tough, because unfortunately the days of a general motors plant, the days of large plants are very few and far between."
Among those facing layoffs are about one-forth of the 82-member police department, 11 firefighters and city service and administrative workers. O’Brien says twelve more jobs would have been on the chopping block, but they were saved by concessions made by most of the city's unions.
A new Port Authority will try to attract new jobs to Trumbull county, but O'Brien isn't hopeful for the foreseeable future. He says he'll likely be forced to cut another 5 percent, and additional jobs, in 2010.
Kymberli Hagelberg, 90.3