Miami Mayor Seeks To Furlough Workers For Nearly 22 Days
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado unveiled his 2012 budget that has to fill a $54 million deficit. In order to fill the hole, Regalado proposed to furlough the city's work force for more than a month, according to CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald.
Police and firefighters wouldn't be exempt from the furloughs. The furloughs would come despite firefighters and police have seen their salaries cut by as much as 20 percent in the last year. According to the Herald, the police union said the furloughs would equal an 8.5 percent wage cut.
According to the Herald, city manager Johnny Martinez said the budget proposal is only a blueprint and that city commissioners would have to make the final decisions. Martinez said the furloughs would save roughly $19 million.
The furloughs aren't the stop to the belt-tightening. Regalado's budget calls for 372 positions to not be filled, including 63 police jobs, according to the Herald. Regalado also is counting on more money from red-light cameras, despite many communities giving up on them as any sort of revenue generator.
(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Miami Herald contributed to this report.)
