Nahant aims to avoid layoffs

NAHANT – Despite expected state cuts in local aid, town officials vowed not to lay off municipal employees.Many communities are already preparing to make layoffs, but Nahant Town Administrator Mark Cullinan said even if Gov. Deval Patrick cuts local aid by up to 10 percent, the town can not afford to lay off any employees.Cullinan said any mid-year budget cuts in Nahant would have to come out of the operating budget and supplies.”Whatever it is; it is,” he said. “But the town is going to have to absorb the reduction in state aid without layoffs. We are literally at minimum manning levels in every town department. We can not cut our workforce any more. We may have to turn the heat way down and find new ways to conserve but we can’t cut employees.”Cullinan said when he was hired as town administrator in 1995 there were 15 Department of Public Works workers and there are only six on staff now.”In 1995 we had 12 firefighters,” he said. “Today we have eight firefighters. If we laid off one firefighter we wouldn’t be able to run the ambulance.”The police department currently has 11 police officers, which is the same number it had in 1995.”We had large staff reductions about 15 years ago,” he said. “I don’t see how we can reduce the workforce and still maintain services.”Cullinan said a 10 percent reduction in local aid for the remainder of FY’09 means the town would lose approximately $50,000 in state funding.Cullinan said the town can not afford to take on any new capital projects or assume any new debt. He said it may be necessary to renegotiate contracts with outside vendors to save money in the upcoming fiscal year.Cullinan said if state aid to the town is reduced by $50,000 for the current fiscal year, $25,000 would be cut from the town side of the budget and $25,000 from the school department.Superintendent Joe Lisi was unavailable for comment on Wednesday but Johnson Elementary School Principal Diane Mulcahy said she doesn’t believe layoffs are imminent.”We haven’t issued any pink slips,” she said. “There hasn’t been any discussion of layoffs yet.”