Warren council discusses layoffs

The income tax administrator discussed declining income tax receipts.

VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT

WARREN — With rumors running rampant among city workers that layoffs are in the offing for 2009, city council met in executive session Monday with Police Chief John Mandopoulos.

When the executive session was over, Council President Bob Marchese said the discussion centered on “how is the police department going to deal with layoffs.”

He said the discussion had to be closed to the public because it dealt with specific personnel moves being considered, which are allowed to be discussed in private.

Despite holding a closed-door session, however, several council members said they feel like they are being kept in the dark about possible layoffs and are being bombarded with questions from people who want to know specific details.

“As council members, we’re expected to know something,” Councilman Bob Dean said. He asked Mayor Michael O’Brien when some specific information will be given.

O’Brien said he and other city officials have been working night and day for three weeks to put together a budget proposal to present to council. He predicted that specific information will be available in two to three weeks.

The good news, O’Brien said, is that the cost cutting measures the city has enacted since last summer make it likely the city will end the year without a deficit, despite a warning in July from David Griffing, Warren auditor, that the city would be more than $1 million in the red if cuts were not made.