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St. Helens council weighs 20% furlough proposal as police overtime drives shortfall
Summary
City officials and residents clashed over a staff plan that could cut employee hours by about 20% to close a projected general-fund gap; the debate centered on police overtime, staffing strategies and intergovernmental coverage by the county sheriff.
St. Helens city leaders and residents spent the bulk of the April 1 work session debating how to close a projected shortfall in the city’s general fund, with staff presenting three options that range from furloughs to layoffs or program cuts.
City Administrator John told the council staff had begun the process to balance the budget and framed three approaches if a proposed $24 general-service fee does not pass: a furlough-first plan that would reduce employee schedules to about 32 hours weekly (roughly a 20% pay cut), targeted layoffs consistent with bargaining agreements, or program reductions and service suspensions. He said a 90-day bargaining period constrains how quickly labor changes could be imposed.
Those proposals drew immediate pushback from Tyler Hills, who identified himself as president of ASME Local 1789, the union representing city employees. “We’re here to express our strong objection…
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