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Norwalk committee hears plan to defund nine city positions; officials say service continuity will be maintained
Summary
Norwalk City officials told the Public Safety and General Government Committee on June 25 that nine positions were defunded in the adopted FY2026–27 budget, producing a projected $719,000 net savings in FY27 and more than $1.1 million annually thereafter; officials said departments have adjusted operations to avoid service disruptions.
The Norwalk City Public Safety and General Government Committee on June 25 heard that nine municipal positions were defunded as part of the adopted fiscal 2026–27 budget and that the reductions take effect July 1, 2026. Chief of Staff Lamont Daniels said department directors have made operational adjustments "to ensure continuity of services."
"There will be no disruption to municipal services, programs, or service delivery as a result of these positions," Lamont Daniels said during the presentation. He introduced Chief Financial Officer Jared Smith to outline the budget impact.
Jared Smith told the committee the net savings projected for FY27 are about $719,000 after roughly $383,000 in severance and payout obligations; he said the city expects an annualized net savings of just over $1.1 million beginning in FY28. "An annualized savings amount of just over $1.1 million per year," Smith said, summarizing the finance office's estimate.
Daniels listed the positions removed from the FY2026–27 budget: an assessment clerk (level 10); an assistant deputy controller; a part-time fire department mechanic; a part-time health administrative position; a youth services director; two part-time community support specialist positions; the superintendent of operations and public works; and a recreation supervisor. Officials said five of the positions were full time and four part time, and that two of the full-time positions were vacant at the time of the review.
Smith explained the first-year savings are reduced by contractual payouts under the city’s collective bargaining agreements, including payments for unused vacation and sick time and other separation-related amounts. He said the administration treated expected savings as a bottom-line offset in the budget and termed the remaining unallocated lapse an amount to be allocated to impacted agencies during the fiscal year.
Council members voiced concern about job losses but took the budgetary context into account. Council member Nicole Ays said the mayor had heard resident concerns about municipal spending and that asking residents to bear higher taxes made it necessary for the city to identify reductions; she expressed support for the mayor’s decision while acknowledging the difficulty of the move. "We are not taking this lightly," Ays said. Other members, including Brian Bailey and Majority Leader Jaylen Seed, thanked staff and called the decision difficult but necessary given fiscal pressures.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the workforce reductions at the June 25 meeting; the presentation and financial estimates were informational and the body moved on to other agenda items.
