Five law clerks and a temporary secretary from the city of Akron's law department are the latest to receive layoff notices. The city has cut 35 other positions - all temporary, seasonal or part-time - and instituted cost saving measures.
Declines in property and income taxes, investment returns and state funding mean the city is expecting to be $12M million dollars in the red by year's end.
Akron's deputy mayor Dave Lieberth says three of the city's big five unions have agreed to participate in a voluntary furlough plan already running for non-union employees. Police and Fire unions have still not responded to the furlough proposal. And this Friday is the deadline for city workers to sign up for a voluntary buyout and get a cash retirement incentive. The hope was that all these efforts would allow the city to avoid cuts to permanent staff, but Lieberth says it won't work out that way.
Dave Lieberth: "It just seems unlikely that we will have lots of employees accept voluntary separation. It does not appear likely that we will be able to find enough savings without layiing off full-time employees at some point this year."
Akron has not had layoffs in over twenty years and currently employs about 2150 people. Lieberth says future cuts may include police and fire personnel, since they make up a large portion of the city budget.