Editorial: City right to initiate furloughs

Voting to force city employees to take unpaid time off will never be a popular decision, but the Gig Harbor City Council did the right thing when it voted to effectively shut down city operations for eight days during the next four months. The decision will save $116,000 and give us a sneak peak of the city’s 2010 plans.

Mayor Chuck Hunter and City Administrator Rob Karlinsey have the difficult task of shaving nearly $2 million from the 2010 budget while keeping services strong and minimizing layoffs. The furlough dates approved by council reflect times during the year when city services can afford to take time off — the holidays.

And although some city employees will not be paid for those eight days, the city will not sacrifice safety or key projects vital to the community’s growth. Sworn police officers and wastewater treatment employees will be spared from the mandatory furlough.

Furloughs also are part of the 2010 budget discussion and many council members are concerned about losing valued employees if the dates snatch too much from paychecks.

Furloughs are a literal representation of every city employee sacrificing to keep the general public with a working, stable city government.