DeKalb City Council voted during Tuesday’s special meeting to take action and avoid the 10 layoffs city employees are facing.

Assistant City Manager Rudy Espiritu said jobs will be preserved through a series of steps including a reduction in force, reorganization, expense cuts and tax increases.

During a presentation to the council, Espiritu explained the reasons DeKalb ended up with a half million dollar deficit in 2007, and how the city can stay out of debt over at least the next four years.

“This is by no means a perfect plan,” Espiritu said, “but it’s a plan that gets us through.”

The reduction in force, aimed to save the city $810,000, is already underway with five employees retiring and five positions being eliminated as they become vacant.

Reorganizing in the city’s Community Development and Public Works Departments will allow money for salaries to come from sources other than the general revenue fund.

Expense cuts will hit all city departments in the form of a 10 percent cut on non-personel expenses, cuts in non-essential overtime and a hiring freeze with the exception of police and fire department personnel.

Second Ward Alderman Kris Povlsen, who voted against the last proposed sales tax increase in 2004, said he will support these increases this time because the city has a plan for reining in spending as it raises revenue.

“I’ve seen the city step forward,” Povlsen said.

Though he did express concern over rising health care costs and salary increases and said tax increases are never popular, Povlsen said they are necessary at this time.

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) local 813 president Mike Taylor said he hopes for quick action by the council and city. He said he feels positive about interaction between the city staff and AFSCME members.

“We’re blessed that the council acknowledged that there was a lot of hard work by AFSCME,” Taylor said. “We’ll be working together for years to come, trying to be better stewards.”

The plan presented for the council’s approval is a “Memorandum of Understanding” between the city and local AFSCME chapter 813 members. Tax increases and other budget items will still need to go before the council individually for approval.

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