Framingham Begins Layoffs Amid 'Fluid' Budget Situation

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham has begun laying off some city employees as leaders grapple with a drop in revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic, and more job cuts may be on the way.

Two Department of Public Works lost their jobs on Thursday, a city spokesperson confirmed on Friday. Mayor Yvonne Spicer followed up with a statement saying that a hiring freeze — including many seasonal positions — was not enough to make up for revenue shortfalls. Local tax revenue is down due to business closures, and the city could lose at least $6.5 million in the upcoming fiscal year.

"I anticipate that unpaid furloughs and or additional layoffs may be necessary for the city to address possible lack of revenue," she said. "These are not decisions I take lightly, and they are with sad given the unavoidable impact on our dedicated employees and their families. Unfortunately, reductions in force are a reality for the city and many other employers, both in government and the private sector, at this time."

City finance officials have not explicitly mentioned job cuts before, but have said that the city budget situation is constantly changing.

At the May 6 City Council Finance Committee meeting, Chief Financial Officer Mary Ellen Kelley alluded to job cuts. Kelley told Councilors that the city budget situation is "fluid," and some jobs that were once considered essential no longer are.

"It's a difficult position to be in," she said. "Some of this stuff we can't talk about publicly. It's really ... it requires some confidential meetings, etcetera."

District 4 Councilor Michael Cannon asked Kelley if senior city leaders would have to take salary cuts.

"We're not final in any of those decisions," she responded.

City officials did say Friday that all division and department heads will have their salaries frozen at current levels.

Mayor Yvonne Spicer presented her $300 million 2020 budget recommendation to the City Council on May 5. The budget does not call for any job cuts, but Spicer has said a hiring freeze would continue into the next fiscal year.

The DPW layoffs this week are part of the 2019 fiscal year, but would carry over into the next budget year, which begins on July 1.

At that May 6 committee meeting, Council President George King Jr. suggested the city might have to make tough cuts now to prevent an even deeper ones in the future. Health officials believe that coronavirus could come back in the fall, potentially shutting down businesses all over again.

"Unless we have a miracle recovery in this economy, we're going to be in very serious trouble a year from now," King said. "It's going to hurt, it's not going to be fun."