DETROIT, April 14 (UPI) -- A budget presented to debt-laden Detroit by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick would involve cutting 640 city jobs, the Detroit News reported Wednesday.
The financial crisis stems from a $69 million deficit from 2002-03 and a $264 million shortfall for next year.
While no emergency services jobs would be affected, one-third of the city's bus fleet maintenance department would receive pink slips.
In defense of the plan, Kilpatrick said the city has one maintenance worker for every two buses, while the industry average is one employee for every six or seven buses.
Kilpatrick wants to eliminate 263 vacant positions and lay off 377 employees. The elimination of those jobs, plus the movement of 357 jobs of the Housing Commission from the city budget, would decrease Detroit's 19,702 city employees by 5 percent.
His proposal now goes to the City Council, which can make changes before it approves a budget by July 1.
