Atlanta City Jobs Continue to Dwindle
More Atlanta city jobs will soon be eliminated.
The City of Atlanta recently announced its plan to cut 222 jobs, only a month after it previously cut another 93 positions. The city has been cutting jobs to make up for budget shortfalls, and is expecting to save up to $14 million after the cuts.
Not only are jobs being cut, but city services also are taking a hit because of the cuts. According to an article by WGCL, everything from parks and recreation to police and fire department jobs will be affected.
The city’s parks and recreation department plans to cut 115 jobs, the majority of its workforce. The layoffs mean about 20 recreation centers will close, leaving only 11 open, and only nine city pools will open later in the season. Also, the annual jazz festival has been canceled.
The public works department will cut 58 positions, including 17 road repair and transportation crews and 30 positions in solid waste and recycling. Recycling pick-up throughout the city will be scaled back. The offices in charge of building permits and community development will eliminate 25 employees.
“As construction declines in the faltering economy, the mayor says there is less use for the employees who oversee new building projects,” the article notes. “And the mayor didn’t spare her own employees.”
Mayor Shirley Franklin plans to cut four jobs from her own executive office. In the future, most of the city’s employees will be reduced to a 36-hour work week, which includes those in essential services like police and fire protection. The fire chief has already warned of slower response times, and in January will institute service black-outs.
“The shortened work week means some firefighting equipment will sit idle with no crews to staff it and he expects some fire-stations could completely close for periods of time, forcing neighboring stations to answer the calls,” the article adds.
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