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Decatur to layoff 6 firefighters
The Herald-Review.com recently published an article detailing the financial challenges facing Decatur, which have led to planned layoffs across several city departments, including the fire department. City Manager Ryan McCrady announced on Friday that 20 positions will be eliminated in an effort to address a $1.6 million budget shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year.
Of the 20 cuts, six are firefighter roles, while the remaining positions include administrative and technical staff. According to McCrady, 12 employees will be laid off, and eight other roles—either currently vacant or soon to be—will be removed entirely. The affected workers were informed this week, with the changes set to take effect at the end of the city’s fiscal year on December 31.
While most departments will feel the impact, the police department and the water utility are expected to remain largely unaffected. The police department typically doesn’t spend its full personnel budget, and the water department is funded through user fees rather than general funds.
The budget deficit stems from projected flat revenues from sales and food and beverage taxes, while expenses continue to rise, particularly due to a 10% increase in pension costs. The cuts affect a range of roles, including two senior clerk typists, four clerk typists, a human relations officer, a human resources training officer, a plan examiner, a plan development manager, a senior long-range planner, a rehab construction specialist, and two engineering technicians.
Four firefighter positions were already vacant, so the city will reduce the number of active fire companies from nine to eight. This means more "brownout" procedures, where some fire engines are not operational at all times. While McCrady acknowledged that this could lead to longer response times during multiple emergencies, he emphasized that the city still believes it can protect residents effectively under the new structure.
The city’s workforce has shrunk significantly over the past five years, dropping from 576 employees to 490 today. The operating budget has been hit hard by rising pension costs, and city council members have resisted raising property taxes to cover these expenses. However, Mayor Mike McElroy recently warned that continued cuts may not be sustainable indefinitely.