Aldermen add themselves to City Hall furlough list
ST. LOUIS — Not only have aldermen agreed to the furloughs proposed by the city’s Estimate Board, they also included themselves: In budget talks this week, aldermen added their own names to the list of employees taking unpaid time off.
Members of the Board’s Ways and Means Committee voted yesterday to approve the furloughs, a move that will cost each board member between $600 and $700.
Those savings will be added to the $3.1 million the city hopes to pare from the budget by asking other City Hall workers — one week for rank-and-file, two weeks for managers — to take furloughs as well.
Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed, Mayor Francis Slay and Comptroller Darlene Green have also volunteered for furloughs.
Most of the elected officials are expected to work through their furloughs, which brings up an interesting issue. Federal employment law may place some restrictions on employees working during their furlough.
However, elected officials never stop being elected officials, even if they’re not getting paid for the week.
Someone that was actually at the meeting would have reported that Alderwoman Florida took issue with having to take a furloh. She voted against it but thinks other employees should take one. Good ol Chuck Troupe and Jeff Boyd voted against it too. No extra scorn on PD not being there though, neither was any other media.
A St. Louis City smoking ban would cut casino revenues 20 percent. Can St. Louis City afford that loss right now?
Uhh, a little off topic Bill.