Council approves employee ‘furloughs’

Times are tough everywhere, on every level, including the city level.

There is a need to save money, and not have to cut too many services and jobs. Cities still need their Police Officers, Firefighters and other city employees.

Here's what one City Council in Florida has voted to do:

After some debate on the impact voluntary furloughs would have on city employees, the Cape Coral City Council voted 6-2 to use a progressive system to impose unpaid furloughs and reduce the impact to lower income employees.

The decision will affect non-union employees; union employees already have made similar concessions.

Councilmember Bill Deile sponsored an ordinance to require non-bargaining unit employees take unpaid furlough days, then modified the proposal to base the mandatory leave time on income earned. Although different amounts were discussed, the final vote included four days for those making more than $75,000 annually, two days for those making between $52,000 and $75,000 and no days for those making less than $50,000.

Read full story here.


Of course, only time will tell if what they are proposing will help enough to avoid cutting jobs, and losing vital services.

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