Kansas City Preparing for Municipal Furloughs

It’s just two sentences in length, but the implications will be significant for employees of Kansas City, Mo.: The City Council has directed acting city manager Earnest Rouse to draw up plans for idling certain city staff for a minimum of one week. The measure was prompted by sharp reductions in tax revenue because of business closures imposed by the city to control the spread of COVID-19 virus.

Based on the current-year personal-services budget of $1.2 billion, a one-week furlough imposed throughout City Hall would save about $2.1 million in payroll costs. Rouse is expected to have a proposed plan before the council by Thursday of next week. The ordinance adopted this week, in its entirety:

“Directing the City Manager to develop a plan for a minimum one-week furlough for City staff; and directing the City Manager to produce the plan within seven days of passage of this Resolution.

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:

Section 1. That the City Manager is hereby directed to develop a plan to implement a minimum one-week furlough for City staff except for certain personnel listed in Attachment A.

Section 2. That the City Manager shall present this plan to the City Council within seven (7) days of passage of this Resolution.”