By Khalida Sarwari
San Jose city officials began sending out layoff, demotion and transfer notices on Tuesday to about 1,300 city employees amid a $116 million budget shortfall.
More than 1,123 full-time employees and nearly 200 part-time employees will receive notices, city spokeswoman Michelle McGurk said. Of that group, about 457 full-time employees and the majority of the 200 part-time employees are subject to layoffs.
The rest could be bumped to a lower-paying position or transferred to a different department, McGurk said.
George Beattie, president of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association, said about 160 positions, including 89 officers, within the Police Department could affected. Losing those positions would impact residents, he said.
“This is going to affect our ability to provide police services,” Beattie said. “We are not going to have the manpower to investigate the smaller crimes.”
Beattie said at 1.36 police officers for every 1,000 residents, the San Jose Police Department is the most understaffed big-city police department in the country.
“The mayor and City Council are considering a card room tax, which will increase tables and the potential for crime around the city,” Beattie said. “In one swoop they’re cutting our services; on the other hand, they’re looking to pass legislation that will potentially increase crime.”
McGurk said the city is in the process of negotiating with several bargaining units. Some have offered cost-saving proposals but none has offered concessions, she said.
“It’s a very complicated system,” she said. “The mayor is calling for a 10 percent cut in wages and benefits, which can save a significant number of jobs and the services those would provide.”
Mayor Chuck Reed said the city is facing the most difficult fiscal situation in its history.
“I regret the loss of jobs and services that these reductions will cause,” Reed said in a prepared statement. “There is an alternative. We can save jobs and vital services if we all share the sacrifice.”