30 Aurora employees seek buyouts

Thirty city of Aurora employees applied for a voluntary separation program that will help the city reduce personnel costs and balance its 2011 budget, officials said Thursday.

Employees with at least one full year of employment as of Sept. 29 were given the opportunity to leave their positions voluntarily. Applications were due Wednesday and the city hopes to either approve or deny them by the end of the week.

Employees who are approved to leave their positions voluntarily must stop working by Dec. 3 or sooner, under the voluntary reduction in force incentive offer. They will receive four weeks severance pay and either four or 10 months of medical and dental insurance, depending on the number of years they have worked for the city.

Aurora faces a budget deficit of about $18 million for its next budget year, which begins Jan. 1, according to Chief Financial Officer Brian Caputo.

Voluntary separation and cuts to employee wages and benefits are expected to save about $8.4 million. Financial information about how much the city may save from 30 employees voluntarily leaving was not immediately available Thursday.