Findlay issues pink slips to 34 city workers

9/30/2009

FINDLAY — Thirty-four city workers are to be laid off effective Nov. 8 as Findlay struggles to stop the bleeding from its general fund.

Mayor Pete Sehnert said Wednesday that 18 firefighters will be among those laid off and an east side fire station — one of four in the city — will be closed. Also to be laid off are maintenance workers as well as employees in the streets, engineering, and recreation departments.

Findlay is asking voters Nov. 3 to approve a 0.25 percent increase in the city's income tax. Mr. Sehnert said if that passes, firefighters would be the first to be called back to work. The city also is applying for a federal grant that would provide funding to retain firefighters.

"If the income tax doesn't pass I don't know when anyone can be called back," the mayor said. "Hopefully, nothing happens in between like any more floods. It's kind of a mess, but every city is going through it."