‘City Council approves layoffs’ an unfair headline
Dear Editor,
Shame on the Gilroy Dispatch for the headline on Friday’s paper “City Council Approves Layoffs”. The truth is that the city council put layoffs as a last resort after all other considered options are exhausted.
And an answer for Pamela Arbanas Moreno, if you had watched the Wednesday night three-hour meeting, you would have seen the city council direct staff to explore many other options from delaying projects, delaying raises, seeking additional income, reducing staff hours, selling Gilroy Gardens, all before the last option, laying off people.
Just as the Gilroy Dispatch laid off their staff when their revenues declined and reduced their service from five days a week to two days a week, when the money is not there to make payroll, you do what you have to do.
This situation has been building for years but the city staff and former city administrator convinced a majority of council that everything would be all right. For the record, I voted NO for the last three years and warned the council that we cannot continue to borrow from the future to pay today’s bills. Now we are bleeding and will go from $21 million in reserves to $20 million in debt in just three years.
These are tough times for everyone including the City of Gilroy. Services will be cut, staff reduced and the city council must do everything possible to keep Gilroy from bankruptcy. Together, we must find a way to survive through this storm.
Craig Gartman, Gilroy city councilman
