Mayor Williams seeks spending cut scenarios by May 1

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Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams

YOUNGSTOWN —Mayor Jay Williams asked city employee union officials to find ways to significantly cut spending, including salary and benefit concessions, by May 1 to avoid or reduce layoffs.

Williams met for two hours Tuesday behind closed doors with officials from the city’s eight unions to discuss the city’s financial problems, including a projected deficit of more than $3 million by Dec. 31 if cuts aren’t made.

The city administration is proposing the elimination of 60 jobs, possibly more, and/or making significant cuts in expenses, primarily salaries and employee benefits, to reduce the number of potential layoffs with a July 1 deadline. Eliminating 60 jobs would save the city about $3.9 million annually.

After the meeting, Williams said the unions were asked to come up with scenarios that include concessions in salary and/or benefits between this July 1 and Dec. 31, 2010, to significantly reduce or eliminate the number of proposed layoffs.

The city administration is doing the same, but Williams said he’d prefer for the employees to propose the cuts and offer ways to save money because it’s their jobs.

For the complete story, read Wednesday’s Vindicator or Vindy.com