Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon has unveiled his budget proposal that would involve reorganizing city management and likely result in layoffs. Mayor Thom Lauzon announced his plans at a city council meeting Tuesday night.
Last month, voters rejected a proposed $10 million budget for fiscal year 2013.
Since then, city council members have been calling for restoring the City’s finances by slashing spending by $100- to $500,000.
Lauzon’s plan calls for consolidating three departments – cemeteries, recreation and facilities.
"I’m proposing that we take three relatively small departments, make them one department that would result in the elimination of two department head positions," Lauzon said. "But we need those labor hours so we would backfill those with entry level positions. Whether or not the manager would offer those position openings to the existing personnel, that’s his call not mine as mayor."
Mayor Lauzon is asking for $196,000 in cuts. Barre’s City Council will vote on the budget Thursday night, and it will go before voters next month.