Against the urging of citizens, including the Reno County Sheriff and the Nickerson schools superintendent, the South Hutchinson City Council voted 3-2 to make personnel cuts Thursday.
Citizens filled the council chambers — some standing in the hallway — and several spoke against the personnel cuts during a public comment session before the council entered an executive session to discuss nonelected personnel.
Council member Luke Herren said cuts were the only option to acquire the money the city needs.
“We’ve got to have cash,” Herren said. “And the hard part about it is the only way to have recurring money year after year is personnel cuts.”
Herren said after the city’s most recent audit, only $1,800 was available in unencumbered cash. That number should be closer to $200,000, he maintained. He said the city has to find money to keep operating in light of upcoming expenses such as payments for a storm siren, a lamp post and a bond issue about to go into effect,
“We have a bond issue on the streets, and I didn’t have anything to do with that. That was two years ago,” Herren said. “When I came onto the council I asked the city manager if we could get out of the contract. It would have cost us $700,000 we didn’t have to cancel the contract.” Every citizen who spoke at public comment session voiced opposition to layoffs in the South Hutchinson Police Department.
Among them: Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson and USD 309 Superintendent Dr. Dawn Johnson.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)