A press release from the office of City Manager Pat West announces that the Long Beach City Council approved unpaid furloughs to City employees and that Long Beach City Hall will be closed on the final Friday of each month from May 29 at least until September 25.  These decisions were made in efforts to address a $19.2 million budget shortfall this year.

“We recognize that furloughs and their resulting reductions in service will have an impact on the community we serve, as well as on City Employees. But the City, like most other cities, is facing a financial crisis so serious that we simply must reduce expenses through furloughs in order to weather this extraordinary financial situation,” City Manager Patrick West was quoted in the press release. “Throughout this difficult process, every effort has been made to maintain critical City services.”

During yesterday’s media briefing on the measures that would be taken to balance the Fiscal Year 2010 budget, West called City employees “our greatest asset, and our greatest expense.”

By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor