Here's what we know about how Denver city layoffs will work
Why it matters: It remains unclear how many municipal employees will be cut or which departments will be hit — leaving thousands in limbo who've dedicated their careers to serving the city, and leaving residents without answers to how the fallout will affect services they rely on.
What they're saying:"This has been the hardest leadership task I've probably ever had to undertake," Johnston told council members this week.
The mayor says the job cuts are crucial to help close a projected $250 million budget gap over this year and next, driven by slowing sales tax growth and economic headwinds, including trade tensions and tariffs.
How it will work: Layoffs will roll out Monday through Friday, according to Johnston's administration.
The city is determining layoffs using a "ranking tool" that scores employees on skills, abilities, performance and years of service — with tenure weighted at 25% across all departments.
Severance will include 30 days of paid administrative leave, between two and eight weeks of lump-sum pay, full access to benefits for one month, a health insurance stipend through the end of October, and 120 days of access to the city's Employee Assistance Program.
All laid-off employees will also receive a six-month LinkedIn Premium membership to aid in job searching.
The other side: Critics, including some council members, have accused Johnston of operating in the dark and eroding public trust.
"The process has not been transparent" and lacks a "defined strategy," Councilmember Shontel Lewis said in a statement, adding that the layoffs have created "a culture of fear, anxiety, and not feeling valued."
Workers "feel like Mayor Mike Johnston has betrayed them," Ronnie Houston, a longtime local organizer with the Teamsters union, told Fox31.
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Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Demonstrators arrested at Palestine Action event
More than a dozen people have been arrested in Norwich city centre for showing support for Palestine Action, which has recently been proscribed by the government as a terrorist organisation. Norfolk Police said 13 people "holding placards showing support" for the group were arrested outside City Hall during the protest, which started at 12:30 BST. They were held on suspicion of displaying an item in support of a proscribed organisation, contrary to Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Five people were taken to Wymondham police station for questioning while the other eight were de-arrested after they gave their details to police. A 14th person had a sign seized by officers. The force said the protest was over by 14:00 BST. Supt Wes Hornigold said: "We will always work to facilitate peaceful protest and protect the democratic right to assembly. However, the actions of this group were unlawful. "Our officers' role is to prevent disorder, damage and disruption in the local community and they will use their powers to do this. Any breaches of the law will be dealt with." The arrests came a day after the Metropolitan Police said a further 60 people would be prosecuted for supporting Palestine Action. The force said it followed the arrest of more than 700 people since the group was banned on July 5, including 522 in central London last Saturday. More prosecutions are expected in the coming weeks, and arrangements have been put in place "that will enable us to investigate and prosecute significant numbers each week if necessary", the Met said. Palestine Action was banned by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper following criminal damage to planes at RAF Brize Norton. As a result, membership of or support for the group is a criminal offence, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Cooper said the ban was based on "strong security advice following serious attacks the group has committed" as well as "plans and ideas for further attacks". But Amnesty International chief executive Sacha Deshmukh has described the mass arrests that have happened since then as "deeply concerning". Last month, the High Court ruled that Palestine Action would be able to challenge its proscription. Lawyers for the group's co-founder Huda Ammori argue that the ban breaches the right to free speech and acts as a gag on legitimate protest. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story Palestine Action can challenge UK ban, court rules UN human rights chief criticises UK Palestine Action ban Some don't know 'full nature' of Palestine Action, says Cooper Related internet links Norfolk Constabulary Proscribed Terrorist Groups or Organisations
Los Angeles Times
14 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
City officials want to fund immigration defense. The budget crisis makes it hard
Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It's Noah Goldberg, with assists from Julia Wick, Seema Mehta and David Zahniser, giving you the latest on city and county government. Days after the Trump administration's mass immigration raids came to Los Angeles, City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado started looking for money to help the city's undocumented residents. In a June 10 motion, she asked City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo to detail options for finding at least $1 million for RepresentLA, which provides legal services for undocumented Angelenos facing deportation. A week later, an official from Szabo's office said they were 'unable to identify eligible funding sources' for the $1 million, which would come on top of $1 million the city has already allocated to RepresentLA. This summer in L.A., an immigration crisis is colliding with a budget crisis, leaving some councilmembers frustrated that the city cannot do more, as federal agents whisk thousands of immigrants away to detention centers and potential deportation. The city has been active in court, joining an ACLU lawsuit that temporarily blocked federal agents from using racial profiling to carry out indiscriminate immigration arrests. Mayor Karen Bass also announced a program to provide immigrants with gift cards, funded by private philanthropy, when many were afraid to go to work. But coming up with another $1 million for immigrant legal defense, after city officials closed a nearly $1-billion deficit through cuts and slated layoffs, has proved a slog. 'Why is it that we can't find the money for this?' asked Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez during a Civil Rights, Equity, Immigration, Aging and Disability Committee meeting on Aug. 1. 'It appears that level of urgency is not being transmitted through this report, because when we're in other situations, we find the money.' Jurado piggybacked off her colleague. 'This is an immigration legal crisis,' she said, adding that she felt 'disappointment, frustration and, frankly, anger with the outcome here that we can't find a single dollar to support immigrant communities and this legal defense fund.' 'I find it really hard to believe that the CAO couldn't find any money for it,' she said in an interview. RepresentLA, which is a public-private partnership with the county, the city, the California Community Foundation and the Weingart Foundation, has seen a surge in demand for legal services since the immigration raids began in June, said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesperson for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, which manages RepresentLA. 'The need is higher than the needs being met,' Cabrera said. The city has contributed funding for RepresentLA since its inception in 2021 — initially $2 million each fiscal year before dropping to $1 million in 2024-2025 and $1 million this year out of a total budget of $6.5 million, with the other $5.5 million coming from L.A. County. RepresentLA, which has served nearly 10,000 people, provides free legal representation for undocumented immigrants facing removal proceedings, as well as other services such as help with asylum applications. Some attorneys are on staff, while others are outside counsel. In April, Bass said in her State of the City speech that the city would 'protect every Angeleno, no matter where you are from, no matter when you arrived in L.A ... because we know how much immigrants contribute to our city in so many ways. We will always stand strong with you.' But behind the scenes, the city's financial struggles put even the initial $1 million for RepresentLA in jeopardy, with the mayor proposing to slash it to zero for this fiscal year. 'Getting the initial $1 million back was quite a battle,' said Angelica Salas, CHIRLA's executive director. 'It had been zeroed out. We were able to get just the money enough to continue the program for those who are currently in the program.' The City Council managed to claw back the $1 million during budget negotiations by slowing down hiring at the LAPD, as well as 'ending duplicative spending,' said Naomi Villagomez-Roochnik, a spokesperson for Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who sits on the budget committee. (The mayor and Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson have since said they are looking for money to reverse the hiring slowdown.) 'It's a crumb when you compare it to the rest of the city budget,' Hernandez said. RepresentLA has 23 attorneys working on deportation hearings, and Salas said each represents about 35 clients at any given time. An additional $1 million 'would allow us to expand our capacity for the new people — the thousands of people who have now been picked up in this new sweep,' she said. At the committee hearing earlier this month, Councilmember Monica Rodriguez said the City Council should find savings in other areas to help pay for important programs like RepresentLA. 'Next time the city attorney comes asking us for outside counsel money, you could say 'No' and redirect those resources. ... When the mayor comes for Inside Safe, for additional discretionary money that she is unaccountable for, you could say, 'No, we're taking $1 million and putting it for RepresentLA,'' she said. 'Let's effing go.' The committee called on the city administrative officer's staff to research options for funding RepresentLA, including grants or reallocating money from elsewhere. Szabo confirmed to The Times that things will be different at the next committee meeting. 'Our next report will provide options to fund RepresentLA at the level requested,' he said in a text message. BALLOT ROYALE: Labor unions and business groups have been locked in a heated battle of ballot measures for the last three months, after the City Council hiked the minimum wage for hotel and airport workers. Each side is trying to get measures on the ballot that would have far-reaching effects, including one that would put the minimum wage increase to a citywide vote. Unite Here Local 11, which represents hotel and restaurant workers, has proposed four ballot measures that, according to critics, would wreak havoc on the city's economy. Business leaders, in turn, have filed a ballot petition to repeal the city's $800-million business tax — a move denounced by city officials, who say it would gut funding for police and other essential services. — SAGE ADVICE: The Jurado staffer who was arrested during an anti-ICE demonstration in June gave a heads-up to her boss that she planned to take part, according to text messages obtained by The Times through a public records request. 'Going to the protest at [City Hall] fyi,' Luz Aguilar wrote to Chief of Staff Lauren Hodgins. Hodgins responded with words of caution. 'To reiterate what we spoke about a few mins ago, if you choose to take part in any community action, please ensure that you approach the event with peace and care for those around you and stay safe,' Hodgins wrote. 'This is not a city-sanctioned activity and you are participating on your own accord so want to ensure your safety along with the safety of those around you.' Aguilar did not text back. She was later arrested at the demonstration and ultimately charged with resisting arrest after allegedly assaulting a police officer. — BACK TO COURT: Prosecutors filed two new corruption charges against City Councilmember Curren Price this week. The charges were connected to two votes he cast on funding for the city housing authority and the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, both of which were paying Price's wife, Del Richardson. Price's attorney called the new charges 'nothing more than an attempt to pile on to a weak case.' Sources told The Times this week that prosecutors tried to get Richardson to testify in front of a grand jury as part of Price's case. She did not ultimately do so. — IT'S FUN TO STAY AT THE YMCA: Bass, L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and City Councilmember Traci Park were all in the Palisades Thursday morning at a ceremony where Horvath pledged $10 million from her discretionary funds toward rebuilding the Palisades-Malibu YMCA. — GIFT ECONOMY: Our public records request for all the gifts Bass received in the last year and a half came back, with the list largely composed of ceremonial gift exchanges with her foreign counterparts (chopsticks and a teacup from the mayor of Sejong, South Korea, estimated cost $32; a scarf and a hat from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, estimated cost $45). There were a few interesting tidbits: Bass received flowers (~$72) from race and gender scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term intersectionality. There were also fancy Dodgers tickets and food (~$590, but marked as 'paid down') from her longtime lawyers at Kaufman Legal Group, along with flights and travel for two speaking engagements. — NOT RULING IT OUT: When Bass appeared on the podcast 'Lovett or Leave It,' host Jon Lovett gave her a 'crazy pitch': What if the city of Los Angeles broke off from the county, forming its own city-county? Bass said it 'wasn't that crazy' and asked (jokingly) whether Lovett would be taking on the messy ballot initiative … before reverting back to her standard line on the need for intergovernmental cooperation. Bass also told Lovett that the city is still looking at ways to carve out an exemption to Measure ULA taxes for Palisades fire survivors selling their lots. And, she said, the city is in the process of hiring its long-promised film liaison 'as we speak.' — HOT SEAT: Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers launched a special election campaign on Thursday, urging California voters to approve new congressional districts to shrink the state's Republican delegation, as Texas Republicans fight to redraw their own maps to favor the GOP. If the plan moves forward through the many hoops ahead, another district could be created in southeast Los Angeles County, which would undoubtedly kickstart frantic maneuvering ahead of 2026. (L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis' name is already getting thrown around as a potential candidate, though her office didn't respond to a half-dozen queries.) — DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL: City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto came out swinging against SB 79, state Sen. Scott Wiener's latest housing density bill, back in May. Now, both proponents and opponents are clamoring to know whether Bass will take a position on the controversial bill. The Times has been asking too, but so far the mayor and her team have not responded to questions. That's it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to LAontheRecord@ Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Saturday morning.
Chicago Tribune
19 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Southland road work, bike path projects to receive Cook County grants
Several south and southwest suburbs are getting Cook County grant money for transportation projects such as repaving streets and building bike paths. Nearly $8.3 million in grants for 32 projects were announced last week by Cook County. The county awarded $300,000 to Calumet City to install stormwater bumpouts on Wentworth Avenue at 156th Street and 156th Place. Calumet Park will get $350,000 for design and construction of alley improvements in the village. The county awarded $300,000 to Harvey for engineering work on a project to make improvements along 157th Street between West Avenue and Dixie Highway in an industrial area of the city. Oak Forest will get $416,000 to build a bike and walking trail along Central Avenue north of 159th Street. The trail will connect with the existing Tinley Creek trail and also make sections of Oak Forest more accessible by foot or bike, including City Hall, Central Park, the library and Oak Forest High School, according to the county. The county awarded $306,000 to the Oak Lawn Park District for a bike and walking path at the Wolfe Wildlife Park, 109th Street and Laramie Avenue. The work will involve replacing and widening an existing asphalt path, installing lighting and building a new path along the east side of Richards High School, according to the county. Orland Park plans to make safety improvements at 159th Street and 94th Avenue, bordering Orland Hills, and will get $150,000 toward design of the work. Palos Hills will get $270,000 to make pedestrian safety improvements along 111th Street. Phoenix will get $430,000 toward design and construction of road improvements along 7th Avenue from 153rd Street to 155th Street. Resurfacing of the street comes after installation of a new water main on 7th Avenue. The county awarded $240,000 to Richton Park to design a rebuild of Richton Road, including making it a two-way street with a center turn lane. Tinley Park will receive $250,000 to make road improvements along 179th Street between 80th Avenue and 94th Avenue. Resurfacing the road is planned along with new sidewalks, according to the county. The funds come from the Invest in Cook program, which earmarks grants for transit projects. County officials said 63% of funds this year will go to projects in low- and moderate-income areas. They said in some projects funded, county money is leveraged with local, state or federal money to widen the scope of work. This the ninth year Invest in Cook money has been distributed, with a total over that time of more than $72 million.
