Aurora says there are no plans to lay off 71 officers

A misinterpreted budgeting exercise is being blamed for a rumor that began circulating in Aurora's public safety circles last week that police Chief Greg Thomas planned to ax 71 officers to meet cost-cutting requirements for the coming year.

"The city has no plans to lay off 71 officers," said Carie Anne Ergo, Mayor Tom Weisner's assistant chief of staff. "That's not a plan the mayor would have or that he'd support."

All city department heads were asked recently to take part in the "budgeting exercise" to show how they could reduce departmental budgets by 15 percent. Ergo said the city made a mistake going with that number for police and fire because most of those departmental budgets are made up of personnel costs.

"We probably should have told police and fire to go 10 percent or 5 percent," she said.

But Weisner left the "specter of layoffs" looming at Tuesday's city council meeting, putting the onus on the city's labor unions to make concessions in an effort to help the city close next year's $19 million budget deficit.

He said it's inevitable to look at personnel reductions when 82 percent of the city's operating costs are related to personnel, most of which are represented by unions.

"The specter of layoffs comes to the fore when reasonable concessions cannot be reached," he said. "Next year's budget will include a number of reductions once again."

Ergo said the city's previous round of layoffs that saw 100 positions cut are included in Weisner's talk of reductions, but there could be more.

"We're not saying that we'll not reduce personnel," she said. "But there's no way (the police department) is going to get close to 71."

The department employs roughly 300 officers, Ergo said.

Spurred by the rumors of public safety department layoffs, Alderman at Large Richard Irvin challenged his 11 fellow aldermen to come up with ideas that will generate $1 million each to help close the budget gap, "to assist in ensuring you and this office don't fail," Irvin told Weisner. "Those rumors may be rumors today, but they'll be reality tomorrow."

Weisner welcomed any suggestions from the council. The mayor's budget proposal is expected next month.

Jobs: Police department employs about 300 officers