LANCASTER : City Lays Off 6 More Workers
Lancaster officials have laid off six more employees, bringing to 15 the number of workers dismissed this year as the city struggles to balance its budget.
Three assistant planners, two planning technicians and an assistant engineer from the Community Development and Public Works departments were laid off Friday to save the city $188,000 this year, said Assistant City Manager Dennis Davenport. The city does not expect to make any additional layoffs.
The employees were laid off without notice and told not to report to work Monday. Although abrupt, the sudden notification actually was meant to alleviate the anxiety for city workers, officials said.
City officials found, Davenport said, that when they warned nine workers in June that they would be laid off in seven weeks, the workers and their colleagues became anxious and said the advance notice was of little help.
“I don’t know if it’s better,” he said of the abrupt dismissals. “I don’t think it changes the reactions.”
City Councilman Frank Roberts said the city cut the employees because of the current building industry slump.
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