More than 600 city employees have received layoff notices this month as the city sheds payroll in a budget crisis.
The count is mounting daily as city leaders orchestrate a department-by-department approach to telling their employees that they no longer will have jobs come July 1.
Wednesday afternoon, back when the count was 300, Mayor Annise Parker said, “There will be hundreds more.” That same day, 127 civilian employees of the police department were told they were being laid off. The total so far is 634.
The fire department laid off some civilian staff as well. Even with good sales tax news from the state, we’re still short a ton of revenue for next year. The bloodletting has only just begun.