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Some East Lansing workers will take voluntary furloughs

East Lansing city hall photo
Kevin Lavery
/
WKAR
East Lansing City Hall.

By Kevin Lavery, WKAR News

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-846326.mp3

East Lansing, MI – More than two dozen East Lansing city employees will take voluntary furloughs over the next year. Their unpaid time off is in anticipation of possible state budget cuts.

AUDIO: The city of East Lansing begins its next fiscal year on Wednesday with a balanced budget. But officials say they're expecting big cuts in state revenue sharing so all nine of the city's department heads and 18 other employees will take five furlough days.

East Lansing City Manager Ted Staton says the move could save the city between $40,000 and $50,000:

"Will this solve our problem? No," says Staton. "If those cuts materialize, will there be layoffs? Almost certainly. And I think there'll be reductions in services."

Those workers taking voluntary cuts are non-unionized. Staton says many of the city's union workers have already accepted significant increases in health care co-pays and deductibles.

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