The city of Vancouver laid off 44 employees from every department Tuesday, part of a 66-position reduction announced this week.
The cuts, first reported by The Columbian on Tuesday, come as the city struggles to balance its 2010 budget, which is $6 million short.
“Unlike prior reductions, these have impacted every department in the city and will impact our community,” City Manager Pat McDonnell wrote in a letter Tuesday to city employees.
City staff who were laid off are “real people whose lives have been greatly impacted as a result,” he wrote.
The remaining 22 positions were unfilled jobs that have been eliminated, a city spokeswoman said.
Early retirement incentives will also be offered to 30 employees, she said. Those incentives are expected to save $570,000 this year and $2.6 million in coming years.
Cuts have been confirmed in the community planning department and in the city manager’s office, McDonnell said Monday.
Major revenue streams for the city, including sales tax, brokered natural gas tax and recreation fee collections, continue to fall below projections, McDonnell wrote.
For the complete story, read Thursday’s edition of The Columbian.
