Getting Rid Of 6 Employees Helps Sunnyside Budget

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By Sade Malloy

Story Published: Sep 18, 2008 at 6:43 PM PDT

Sunnyside -- The cuts might not be over in Sunnyside after the city announced six workers were being let ago another may be on the chopping block.

It could be lights out for the Rec Center, the clock is ticking on the plan to keep it open.

The folks here at the Sunnyside City Hall have been working on the budget for three months it's still not balanced but instead of being more than $1 million off they're about $150,000 away from balancing the budget.

It's desperate times for the city of Sunnyside.

Eric Swansen, City Manager says, "It was pretty clear to us that we were not going to make it through 2009."

They weren't going to make it through '09 without cutting more than a million dollars from the budget.

Everything costs between seven and 10 percent more than it once did yet revenue is up by only half a percent.

Dale Johnson says, "I think they're cutting from the wrong end."
Savannah Capener says, "They should cut back on the extra unnecessary stuff before they cut back on personnel especially with what's going on here in Sunnyside with the gangs and recent shootings."

You may not agree but the city felt it had no choice but to lay off a half dozen city workers.

They received a two week notice on Wednesday.

The cuts include a police officer and the one and only rec worker.

Dora Orona says, "For the kids sake because there are a lot of kids that are out of school and when they're out of school they go over there."

With no employees left at the rec center the building could also close in a couple weeks.

The city is still trying to get it paid for privately by a non-profit or a church.

Eric Swansen, Sunnyside City Manager says, "What it really boils down to is we need to grow our economy we need jobs."

More jobs means new businesses that could bring property and sales tax revenues for the city.

The city has also gotten rid of three positions that were not filled one police officer, one recreation and one permit employee.

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