City of Cincinnati Furloughs 20 Percent of its Workforce as Coronavirus Causes Budget Havoc
The City of Cincinnati confirmed it is making massive furloughs today in order to address a looming $60 million to $80 million budget deficit related to pandemic coronavirus COVID-19.
Those cuts were "extreme," Mayor John Cranley said today, but necessary as the city struggles with an enormous reduction in tax revenue related to closure of non-essential businesses and other economic fallout from COVID-19.
Cranley said more than 20 percent of the city's workforce will be on temporary unpaid leave, though they will still have health benefits. The average department saw staff reductions of around 50 percent, he said. Some departments saw even steeper cuts.
No firefighters or police officers were furloughed, though some administrative staff in those departments will be. Roughly 90 percent of the city's sewer and waterworks employees also remain on the job, Cranley said.
Read more: https://www.citybeat.com/news/blog/21125345/city-of-cincinnati-furloughs-20-percent-of-its-workforce-as-coronavirus-causes-budget-havoc