San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office issued layoff notices to city workers Monday, signaling what could be the beginning of broader cuts across the city workforce.
The 127 layoffs include jobs in the City Administrator’s Office, the Department of Public Health, the San Francisco Police Department, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, and the Human Services Agency, according to the San Francisco Standard. Charles Lutvak, spokesperson for the mayor’s office, confirmed the layoff numbers in an email.
In a statement shared with SFGATE, Lurie said the layoffs come amid budget shortfalls and setting up the city for “durable economic recovery.”
“As long as I’ve been mayor, our administration has worked to make government serve San Franciscans more effectively and support our economic recovery, now and for years to come,” Lurie said. “Facing a budget deficit that will rise to $1 billion, alongside significant cuts in federal and state funding, we have a choice: take action now or be forced to do twice as much in the coming years. The steps we’re taking today are a painful but necessary continuation of the work we’ve been doing since last year to manage taxpayer dollars responsibly and deliver the best possible services for San Franciscans.”
The California Employment Development Department did not respond to SFGATE’s request for information about the layoffs.
Sophia Kittler, director of the city’s budget office, told KPIX-TV in March that the city needs to cut at least 500 jobs to close the gap.