Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper today told city employees in an e-mail that his administration faces a $56 million budget gap next year but has crafted a plan to close that potential deficit.
He said that after consulting with employees and asking their feedback, he has decided on the following steps for the city:
The mayor said that should the economy continue to deteriorate, he will also use furlough days during the months in which employees receive three pay checks or on days adjacent to city holidays.
“While it is impossible to completely insulate ourselves from national economic forces beyond our control, we are working aggressively and strategically to ensure our regional economy rebounds as quickly as possible,” the mayor said in the letter.
The mayor said the budget deficit would have been $86 million, slightly 10 percent of the 2009 budget, if departments had not already worked hard to close another $30 million gap during the development of the original 2009 budget.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
