At a Dec. 16 council meeting, the City of Hayward made plans to lay off city employees. Recently appointed Hayward city manager Jennifer Ott said layoff notices would be sent out on Dec. 17.
“We are not able to close that $30 million gap without making some workforce reductions and make some personnel changes that are going to impact employees,” she said.
Ott apologized that layoffs became the first topic during her first city council meeting budget presentation. “I want the employees and everyone to know that I don’t take these decisions lightly at all,” said Ott. “I think that they are needed to stabilize this organization long term and be able to get the city financially back on track.”
Employees were not happy about the layoff announcement. A group of people from the SEIU Local 1021 union spoke during the Dec.16 council meeting.
A city secretary said employees are more than names on a spreadsheet. “We are parents, caregivers and community members. We are people with families, responsibilities and real needs. And the impact of this deficit [is] being carried by real human beings. That human cost deserves to be seen, respected and truly considered.”
A librarian from Hayward Public Library said she doesn’t have enough time to fulfill all her responsibilities. “The reality is simple. Hours have been cut, but the workload has not. I’m organizing a major dance performance for Black History Month, and another for Lunar New Year, events that serve and celebrate our community.
“There is simply not enough time to complete all required work,” she continued. “Hayward is home to more than 162,000 residents, and every one of them deserves access to a fully functioning library system.”
One person said a $9 million movie theatre the city council approved was not something the residents really need. “Your decision to lay off city workers is no longer in response to a projected budget deficit, this is about your priorities as elected officials,” said a city employee during the meeting. “You have both the ability and the responsibility, right here, tonight, to protect Hayward city workers and the services that they provide.”
The council members responded with empathy but held firm. “I’m understanding we’ve never been here like this, there is zero savings,” said vice mayor pro tempore Julie Roche. “There isn’t anything to pull from.”
She addressed the decision to spend money on a movie theatre. “There was absolute confidence from the staff at that time that we could absorb such a thing,” said Roche.
Roche also talked about other ways they may have ended up in a multi-million dollar budget deficit, including giving post-Covid raises to city employees. “It was an absolute structural failure in the city.”
Councilmember Ray Bonilla Jr. said he’s been laid off before Christmas too. “I am committed, and I think all of us are, to working with everybody. It’s not over yet.
Ott said the council will further discuss the budget at a Jan. 6 work session.
“The books are not closed, the story is not written yet,” added Bonilla. “There’s still time, but it’s going to take all of us working together to figure out how we meaningfully solve the gap that’s in front of us right now.”
