Preliminary layoff notices sent to almost 30 City of Spokane employees

SPOKANE, Wash. — The City of Spokane said 29 employees are at risk of losing their jobs due to budget constraints and union negotiations.

The City said the notices issued today are not official termination letters. It said termination will depend on the outcome of union negotiation, the proposed Community Safety Sales tax and the final city budget which is expected to be passed by the City Council later this year.

“This is a challenging situation and these notices were issued out of an abundance of transparency and fairness to our employees,” Mayor Lisa Brown said. “We are working to minimize impacts to City employees and remain hopeful we can get to a place where we can maintain our workforce and city services while avoiding permanent reductions.”