Video:  Birmingham furlough proposal challenged

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—- Some Birmingham city councilors are questioning the recommendation to require city employees to take 4 unpaid furlough days to help solve the city’s budget problems.

Last night Interim Mayor Roderick Royal presented a proposal given to him by a number of finance officials with the city.

The plan included mandated furlough days before four holidays, increasing various fees and cutting back on city councilor discretionary spending, among other changes.

The financial plan is designed to help fill $20 million worth of holes in the 2009-2010 fiscal budget that were uncovered about a month ago.

The proposed furlough days are New Year’s Eve, the Friday before Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s birthday, Good Friday and the Friday before Memorial Day.

Royal explained Monday the furloughs could save the city $3.7 million.

Tuesday City Councilor Carole Smitherman raised questions about the constitutionality impacting civil service employees holiday benefits.

To complicate matters, NBC13HD has learned the city’s manual requires employees to work the day before the holiday in order to get paid for the holiday.

So, if they are forced to take the day off before the holiday, the may not only lose pay for the furlough day but the holiday day as well.

For all non-public safety employees that could translate into losing almost an entire paycheck.

Royal hopes to hold a meeting Thursday morning to work out issues with the finance plan.