Several non-emergency city services and buildings, including parks and libraries, will be closed or operate on modified schedules Monday as city employee furloughs aim to offset a gap in the city’s budget.
The animal shelter, sanitation departments, Dallas Love Field, emergency services, 311 and some community centers are among those offices that will stay open.
The $30 million budget crunch caused by high police and fire overtime, medical costs and lower sales tax revenue resulted in three furlough days – mandatory unpaid days off for employees – this year. The first two were in July and early September.
Executives at or above the assistant director level were also required to take two additional furlough days There are no other full furlough days planned for the year, although municipal court employees will take a furlough day at a later time. Some employees, such as those at the animal shelter and some cultural centers, took separate days earlier in the month.
The furloughs are expected to save about $5 million, officials have said. The city’s new budget cycle starts on Oct. 1. All agencies will return to normal operating hours Tuesday.
“Furloughs are not our preferred solution; however, they enable us to reduce expenses, protect jobs, and employee health benefits, and continue delivering services to our residents,” City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said in a June news release.
The following public-facing agencies and buildings are closed or on modified operations:
Services and buildings that will remain open: