More Layoffs, Furloughs In Framingham As Mayor Rethinks Budget

FRAMINGHAM, MA — A total of 13 Framingham city workers will lose their jobs as city officials make budget cuts to save money during a coronavirus-induced downturn. Another five employees will take furloughs, and the city will postpone hiring police officers and firefighters.

The cuts come as part of a new budget Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer is submitting for fiscal year 2021, which begins on July 1. She submitted a $300 million budget to the City Council on April 30, but has reduced that by another $2.8 million. Framingham may see about $6.5 million less in revenue in the coming fiscal year, plus more possible cuts in state aid.

But the budget trouble may continue beyond this year. The 13 layoffs were done with an eye toward making sure the fiscal 2022 budget — which won't start until July 1, 2021 — is stable.

About $1.2 million of the new cuts come from job and salary reductions. Those include the layoffs, which come from the Department of Public Works, the treasurer's office, civilian roles in the police department, and facilities management. The five furloughed employees will come from the public works capital department, and they will be out for four months in fiscal 2021.

READ: How Much Framingham Can Get From Federal Coronavirus Stimulus

Other new personnel reductions: eliminating 10 vacant positions across the parks, public works, and highway departments, and the library and mayor's office. The city will defer hiring two firefighters for four months, and two police officers by 11 months. Framingham will also delay hiring a new assistant fire chief for two months.

Another 12 vacant but funded positions will be eliminated, saving nearly $700,000. Those positions are in the library, police and fire departments, planning and community development, and the health department.

"The City has built an excellent workforce that provides outstanding service," Spicer said in a statement on Monday. "Reduction in force will not allow the same level of service, but employees will strive to do the best they can with limited colleagues and resources. The City must make it through this crisis with core services intact.

Spicer is also recommending new department-level cuts, including $500,000 less for the school department — mostly savings from not hiring paraprofessionals and not providing bus service for remote summer school classes.

The first two Framingham layoffs came on Thursday when two public works employees lost their jobs. The City Council is still reviewing the fiscal 2021 budget proposal.