Salem issues layoffs to balance budget by April

By D.A. WILKINSON

wilkinson@vindy.com

SALEM

Mayor Jerry Wolford on Wednesday announced cuts across the board in city hall.

Three firefighters were cut, leaving 12 firefighters and a chief.

Three police officers were cut, leaving the city with 18 workers and the chief and a lieutenant.

The police chief’s full-time secretary was laid off with no backup worker.

A part-time housing inspector was laid off.

Two workers in the street department are retiring and will not be replaced. There would have been two layoffs in the street department without the retirements.

Revenue dipped by more than 7 percent in the city in 2009, and revenue in 2010 has dropped by 5 percent in the first two months of the year.

The city by law must have a balanced budget by April 1.

The move was strictly financial, according to the mayor.

“No other factor has played a part in these decisions except to address the financial crisis the city is in,” Wolford said.

The city earlier this year kept about $200,000 in interest money it normally gives to the city’s utilities department.

Wolford said council has not said what it will do with the money.

City Auditor James Armeni had asked police to pay 5 percent of pensions, but they refused.