By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
The city manager announced layoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, just two days after Mayor Kurt Mayabb told city council members he had hoped to see other measures before jobs were cut.
Layoffs were announced Wednesday by City Manager Jason Orr.
“I want to be very clear that the City of Piedmont is not in a position of dire straits financially,” Orr said Wednesday. “The pandemic prompted us to find ways of trimming down the organization but factors other than finance were taken into consideration while making those decisions. As good stewards of taxpayer resources we will continue to monitor revenues over the coming months and make adjustments accordingly. “
Public Works Superintendent Bud Stuber was laid off. Stuber had been with the city since 1992. Also laid off was Kayla Cornett, community development director, said Kevan Blasdel, city councilman. Cornett’s annual salary was $54,268 and Stuber’s was $79,323.
Blasdel said about Stuber,
“He (Stuber) has been holding together a department that has been underfunded forever, for a long time, and he has done a great job.”
Mayabb told the city council in an emergency meeting Monday that he had talked to Orr and learned that the financial shape has worsened with sales tax revenue losses .
“I did not know that we were in that bad of shape with finances,” Mayabb said.
He said he spoke with City Manager Jason Orr last week about the reality of layoffs.
Orr said there were a lot of considerations were made,.
Orr said he does not think the city will need further rounds of layoffs.
Mayabb on Monday suggested trying to cut hours worked by employees instead of layoffs.
“I don’t know if we should do layoffs at this time in my opinion,” Mayabb said.
“I just feel like we’re in a tough time,” Mayabb said.
“And citizens and employees are as well.”
“We have reserves. I feel like if we have reserves to get through these situations then why are we doing layoffs?” Mayabb said.
The meeting Monday was streamed on Facebook Live and through dial-in telephone numbers.
The council could consider freezing all finances, Mayabb said. The emergency meeting was called to discuss the shortfalls.
Revenues appear to be down $60,000 to $70,000.
City Council Member John Brown said he thought the reserves should help in the current situation.
“That’s why we have reserves. We have reserves to take of these kinds of situations. We don’t know when things like this are going to come along, like tornadoes and droughts, and all the things we run across. That is why we have reserves.
“When the tornado came through it cost us $1 million and we got a good portion of that back from the government, but it took two years,” Brown said.
Listeners to meeting by telephone were unable to hear all council members speak.
Due to the technical difficulties, the meeting was adjourned.
The council will discuss the issues next Monday, Mayabb said.
