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Mabton council debates sweeping cutbacks: contractor hours, uniform contract and staffing
Summary
Council members and staff outlined multiple potential savings — from cancelling a weekly uniform/laundry contract and switching shredding frequency to reducing hours for an outside contractor who bills $75/hour — and discussed possible staff reductions and changes to office hours, pending legal and union review.
Councilors and city staff at a special Mabton City Council meeting laid out a series of potential cost-cutting measures to reduce operating expenses amid a budget shortfall.
Staff member S6 itemized near-term savings ideas including cancelling the weekly CentOS uniform and laundering contract ("we're still saving, about $5,000 a year, by canceling that contract") and moving the Iron Mountain shredding service from monthly to quarterly. Several council members flagged the city’s independent contractor Jamieson Horner, noting her $75/hour billing rate and urging fewer, batched contacts to reduce billable hours: “Can we afford to take her and work for it at $75 an hour?” one council member asked.
The council debated deeper personnel options, including eliminating one or two public-works positions or shifting office staff to part-time or fewer open days; members stressed the need to check union contracts and other legal constraints before taking action. Staff noted the city is already down one budgeted office position and reiterated the state auditor’s report and the May 31 submission deadline for annual financial statements. Council directed staff to return with contract reviews, procurement consequences and a plan for next steps at an upcoming meeting.
