<\/p>\n
Local 39, Sacramento\u2019s biggest union, protests outside City Hall in 2019. Their members do jobs for the city like picking up trash, answering 311 calls, maintaining streets, enforcing code violations and keeping parks clean and well maintained. <\/p>\n
Paul Kitagaki Jr.<\/p>\n
pkitagaki@sacbee.com<\/p>\n
The city of Sacramento this week notified a union \u2014 representing workers from nearly every department \u2014 that it may lay off some of its members amid an approximate $66 million budget deficit.<\/a><\/p>\n City Hall\u2019s expenses far surpassed its revenues for the past two years.<\/a> The Council was able to avoid layoffs, balancing its billion dollar budgets by slashing vacant positions and hiking fees for parking<\/a> and other programs, in those years. But those solutions appear to be at an end.<\/p>\n The International Union of Operating Engineers, Stationary Engineers Local 39 received a letter Monday titled \u201cformal notice of proposed layoffs and opportunity to meet and confer regarding impacts\u201d as the city contemplates cost-saving measures. Local 39 represents people in many departments, with roles such as code and parking enforcement, park maintenance, water treatment plant operations and urban forestry.<\/p>\n The letter outlined how the city\u2019s budget proposal, scheduled to be released Thursday, could include a preliminary recommendation of layoffs. A department restructuring could also lead to \u201calternative service delivery models\u201d such as replacing workers with contractors, the letter said.<\/p>\n Payden Martin, a union representative for Local 39, said it was disappointing that officials are considering cutting some of the city\u2019s lowest paid employees, such as parks maintenance workers.<\/p>\n \u201cTrying to balance budget on the backs of lowest paid employees seems to me to be a morally reprehensible choice for budget priorities,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n City spokesperson Jennifer Singer did not immediately have a comment.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s Finance Director Pete Coletto for the upcoming fiscal year projected a $66 million budget deficit, a figure which doesn\u2019t include state funding for homelessness. City Manager Maraskeshia Smith did not rule out employee layoffs during an interview earlier this year.<\/a><\/p>\n Cuts to city employees should alarm all residents and will cause repercussions for the community, Martin said. Property values could plunge if enough park maintenance workers cannot clean public spaces. The cuts hurt workers, some of whom worked decades with the city, and their families, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething needs to be done to save our parks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Elected officials are scheduled to hear proposed department cost-cutting plans in March. Each department has been asked to reduce spending by 15%.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, the city\u2019s Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment, Finance and Community Response departments will present their methods, according to the letter.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are early in the budget process,\u201d the letter said. \u201cThe information being presented is subject to change.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published February 25, 2026 at 6:10 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n
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