Layoffs in Waukegan

[goodintentions]

By Ashley Badgley | Daily Herald Staff
The city of Waukegan gave layoff notices to 48 employees Monday, according to a statement released by the mayor's office.

The layoffs come from the building department, collector's office, treasurer's office, public works department, city clerk's office and the police department. The positions will be phased out by Oct. 31, officials said.

The city needs to reduce spending by $6.3 million, and the cuts of 10 full-time and 38 part-time positions, along with a hiring freeze and early retirement options, will save the city approximately $1 million, according to the release.

The city has 523 full-time employees and 70 part-time employees, Waukegan Director of Public Relations and Marketing David Motley said. After the 38 part-time employees received layoffs, what's left of the part-time staff is mostly city crossing guards, Motley added.

Mayor Robert Sabonjian said in the statement layoffs are necessary for the city to balance its budget, of which 47 percent of the costs involve staffing.

"Even after these staff reductions, we project a continued decline in revenue for the next fiscal year," Sabonjian said in the statement. "Every city department has been affected by our cost saving measures and, unfortunately, more cuts were needed to assist us in an effort to balance our budget."

[Ricky Bobby]

Deadbolt your doors and better look into ADT. This town is about to go south with crime (more than it already is). Even though Alderman Tenpas is quoted as saying only part time employees will be layed off within the Police Department, this is not true. Alderman Tenpas is only softening the blow for the vulnerable taxpayers of this community. There will be police officers laid off soon enough.

If ADT or Brinks security is not feasible, maybe Century 21 or REMAX is..... :o

[Frankzilch]

Deadbolt your doors and better look into ADT. This town is about to go south with crime (more than it already is). Even though Alderman Tenpas is quoted as saying only part time employees will be layed off within the Police Department, this is not true. Alderman Tenpas is only softening the blow for the vulnerable taxpayers of this community. There will be police officers laid off soon enough.

If ADT or Brinks security is not feasible, maybe Century 21 or REMAX is..... :o

Ricky, are you in WPD? Is there any waste to cut in the department in your opinion? Can anything be done in a more cost effective way?

[Grover]

The dedicated men who work on "beautifying" Waukegan...specifically getting rid of year-round graffiti, designing, planting and maintaining (including replacing when the flowers which are stolen by local vagrants) the lovely, giant flower pots up and down Genesee Street, maintaining Jack Benny Park, and assist in the coordinating of the classic downtown winter decorations has been let go by the City of Waukegan.

I'd like to thank this team of men who have diligently, year after year, helped to keep Waukegan looking as pretty as possible.

Thank you for your service to our community!

To Waukegan residents affected by graffiti: CONTINUE CALLING PUBLIC WORKS and REPORTING YOUR GRAFFITI NEEDS! The City needs to maintain the classic beauty still evident in Waukegan.

Now is the time to be engaged, involved residents; I implore Waukegan residents to continue the good work of maintaining this classic city by the lake!

Thank You,

[Waukegan6th]

Volunteer police and fire dept...also, sell naming rights for the city to the highest bidder like Comiskey Park, etc.

[johnny99]

Hey maybe the city should sell off that dumb-ass little police department "Tank". I saw it at yorkhouse & greenbay the other morning. Talk about overkill.

[reasonable1]

The reality is that losing all the part time positions will probably take more officers off the street and put them in desk jobs. I also agree with Ricky Bobby in that Police officers will be losing their jobs soon, if it already hasn't happened. When this topic first came out someone had posted that the WPD manpower was already down so how much more does the city want them to give up?

[mindboggled]

So after reading the terms and conditions carefully this has to be the clean / edited version.

So the layoffs / firing has finally surfaced. One must say that the mental stress level has definitely been heightened every since this rumor, now reality, had surfaced. OK fine ....may it be so! There are a couple of questions that are just floating in many of our heads since the news of this just a few days ago. The list goes as following in no particular order:

What about those that began to feel as if someone cared enough about the community to actually make an effort to make things nice and clean?

What about those that began to get familiar with seeing something actually being done about the defacing of private and public owned property?

What about the efforts to keep walk ways and sidewalks shoveled and salted for safety / access?

What about the working relationship that began to form amongst the various departments that initiated and later completed community projects in our town?

What about the guy in the wheel chair that has been made to feel comfortable because he knows that someone cares that he can get around public transportation?

What about the people that will read this, if they get a chance to, that will be upset that someone actually said something real.


To answer these questions, and there are many more, one must be asked that actually partook in these various task ( Hint). for you cool cats that understand, lets just say what a wasted effort and time seeking to achieve and continue to handle the various task (hint).

If you know anything about the "Good Book", you are able to decipher whats really going on here as a whole. Again, this has to be the clean edited version.

In closing, I hope you that make decisions get what you are seeking to achieve. After all, actions speak louder than words so make us all believers in your financial plan / vision.

For those that will be out of work these words are for you:

Keep your head up
Stay focused
All things happen for a reason
You are in my heart
Spend wisely

If you are having trouble dealing with the news, those of you that have to endure... :? ... Here is a token of my appreciation. Just click the link below now!

http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_relie...xation.htm

[Frankzilch]

The dedicated men who work on "beautifying" Waukegan...specifically getting rid of year-round graffiti, designing, planting and maintaining (including replacing when the flowers which are stolen by local vagrants) the lovely, giant flower pots up and down Genesee Street, maintaining Jack Benny Park, and assist in the coordinating of the classic downtown winter decorations has been let go by the City of Waukegan.

I'd like to thank this team of men who have diligently, year after year, helped to keep Waukegan looking as pretty as possible.

Thank you for your service to our community!

To Waukegan residents affected by graffiti: CONTINUE CALLING PUBLIC WORKS and REPORTING YOUR GRAFFITI NEEDS! The City needs to maintain the classic beauty still evident in Waukegan.

Now is the time to be engaged, involved residents; I implore Waukegan residents to continue the good work of maintaining this classic city by the lake!

Thank You,

Oh come on now. They don't get rid of Graffiti. They paint over it with white paint and not very good either. Thank them for their "service". You've got to be kidding. The city is full of litter and I don't see them doing one thing to help. Friends and favors jobs and gift jobs are what they had - - Thank them. Ha! They already suck down twice as many tax dollars as they should. They should be thanking us for not canning them years ago. Good riddance I say.

[Frankzilch]

So after reading the terms and conditions carefully this has to be the clean / edited version.

So the layoffs / firing has finally surfaced. One must say that the mental stress level has definitely been heightened every since this rumor, now reality, had surfaced. OK fine ....may it be so! There are a couple of questions that are just floating in many of our heads since the news of this just a few days ago. The list goes as following in no particular order:

What about those that began to feel as if someone cared enough about the community to actually make an effort to make things nice and clean?

What about those that began to get familiar with seeing something actually being done about the defacing of private and public owned property?

What about the efforts to keep walk ways and sidewalks shoveled and salted for safety / access?

What about the working relationship that began to form amongst the various departments that initiated and later completed community projects in our town?

What about the guy in the wheel chair that has been made to feel comfortable because he knows that someone cares that he can get around public transportation?

What about the people that will read this, if they get a chance to, that will be upset that someone actually said something real.


To answer these questions, and there are many more, one must be asked that actually partook in these various task ( Hint). for you cool cats that understand, lets just say what a wasted effort and time seeking to achieve and continue to handle the various task (hint).

If you know anything about the "Good Book", you are able to decipher whats really going on here as a whole. Again, this has to be the clean edited version.

In closing, I hope you that make decisions get what you are seeking to achieve. After all, actions speak louder than words so make us all believers in your financial plan / vision.

For those that will be out of work these words are for you:

Keep your head up
Stay focused

Do you even know what the F-ing hell you are talking about?