By Richard Cowen
The Herald News
PASSAIC, N.J. — The city of Passaic began the week with 17 fewer firefighters, following a layoff that may be only the start of a larger reduction in municipal employees.
The layoffs that took effect on Sunday are part of a reorganization of the Fire Department that includes the demotion of six superior officers, each of whom will be bumped down one rank.
The cuts in the Fire Department are designed to help the city close a budget gap that has been estimated at around $5 million.
Originally, the city planned to lay off 20 firefighters. But on Friday, five firefighters put in for retirement, sparing three full-time jobs.
“The administration is working off the expectation of five retirements,” said Keith Furlong, a spokesman for the city.
The layoffs came after unions representing both rank-and-file firefighters and superior officers rejected an offer to give back two weeks’ pay.
Layoffs in the Fire Department are part of a larger plan to reduce the size of city government.
The second phase of the layoff plan includes the elimination of 24 jobs at City Hall, which is scheduled to take place Friday. Most of the jobs targeted for layoff are administrative positions in the city clerk’s office, finance, the community development department, code enforcement and the municipal court.
The city has offered municipal workers the same deal as the firefighters, and gotten the same answer: No to pay givebacks. Members of the Passaic City Employees Association voted last week against pay givebacks. There are no negotiations between the city and PCEA scheduled for this week, although that could change.
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