Close Call: Lauderdale Lakes Employees Avoid Layoffs
LAUDERDALE LAKES (CBS4) -More than three dozen employees of Lauderdale Lakes faced receiving an unwanted gift this holiday season — a pink slip.
City commissioners -- dealing with a major budget shortfall -- considered laying off 40 employees during an emergency budget meeting Friday evening in order to save $2.5 million dollars. That represents about one-third of the city's work force.
After several hours of discussion and public comment, commissioners voted 4-2 not to lay anyone off.
Five-year employee David Lee was one of the employees whose job was on the line.
"I just find it very hurtful that we can actually lose staff that have families," Lee told commissioners. "It's not that I couldn't make another career choice. I love being here."
Another employee told commissioners, "I have a family. If I lose my job how can I pay my mortgage in the city?"
Commissioners wrestled with the decision.
"We've got to do something drastic here," said Vice-Mayor Levoyd Williams. "Nothing is more important than saving the city."
Commissioners admitted laying off employees 8 days before Christmas would be painful.
"I know they have families," said Commissioner Benjamin Williams Sr. "I know they have kids. I know they have people that depend on them."
While city commissioners spared the jobs in their city for now, other indicators showed a tightening in Florida's labor market.
The unemployment rate in Florida rose to 12.2%. Broward County's unemployment rate rose seven-tenths of a percent to 10.8%. Miami-Dade's rate dropped slightly to 13%.
Also Friday, Fort Lauderdale-based BankAtlantic announced they are laying off 75 workers.
But some experts said they do see positive signs. Kelly Allen, Vice President of Communications with Workforce One in Broward County, said things are better now than they were several years ago.
"There are jobs out there," Allen told CBS 4's Carey Codd. "We see more employers in our centers right now than we have in a while," looking to hire people.
Allen also said people looking for work cannot let up during the holiday season.
"People think, 'Oh it's the holidays nobody's hiring' and that's simply not true," she said. "Don't take a break, don't take a rest from looking for a job because you really do have to make the search a full time job in itself."
Allen suggested unemployed people constantly search job postings, network as much as possible and tell everyone they know that they are looking for work.
Dozens of people in Lauderhill have avoided that problem for now.
But Friday's commission meeting made clear the city faces a crisis.
According to the budget documents posted online at the city's website — www.lauderdalelakes.org – the city saw its' property tax revenue drop by 21% this year, leaving it deeply in the red. The city owes the Broward Sheriff's Office $4 million for services and blames part of its' budget crisis on increases in BSO's contract. However, BSO Spokesperson Jim Leljedal said BSO has cut services to the city, in every department except road patrol deputies. Leljedal said the city hasn't paid their bill in months.
"They owe us millions of dollars," Leljedal said.
The city manager admitted the cuts would bring a "significant reduction in workforce and services." The proposed cuts would have affected many departments — Finance, Human Resources, Parks and Recreation, Community Development, Social Services and Public Works.
Commissioners said they plan to deal with the budget shortfall soon and hope to introduce new revenue streams into the city -- like using red light cameras at intersections.
But Commissioners also discussed the possibility that state officials might have to come in and take over the city's finances.
