Puyallup furloughs employees during coronavirus pandemic
The City of Puyallup has furloughed 15 of its 300 employees during the coronavirus pandemic.
The library lost 14 employees and the Finance Department lost one, city manager Steve Kirkelie confirmed in an email on Friday.
The furloughs are associated with facilities or programs that cannot be opened or operated due to the stay-at-home orders and closing of nonessential business to slow the spread of the virus.
The library and the activity center were closed on March 13.
Kirkelie said the city will abide by state orders and federal guidelines in determining how long furloughs will continue.
The city’s general fund totals $56.2 million for 2020, of which the library accounts for $2.9 million. With a sharp drop in retail, Puyallup council members worried in a council meeting on April 7 about the impact to sales tax revenue and the potential need for budget reductions. Sales tax consists of 47 percent of Puyallup’s general fund.
The city also has decided to not hire seasonal positions with the parks and recreation department and public works. Not filling those part-time positions saves the city close to $1 million, Kirkelie said.
There have been no layoffs, the city manager said.
