After taking a closer look at budget figures Thursday night with members of the Pottsville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 44, Councilman Mark Atkinson said he thinks the city can save at least one job.
"I'm pretty confident we are not going to end up with five layoffs but I'm not sure about the status of the police officers," Atkinson, who also chairs the council's public safety committee, said after the closed-door meeting.
City Council presented its tentative 2013 spending plan Nov. 29 and announced it was planning to lay off five full-time workers to avoid a tax increase.
The jobs in jeopardy are three police officers, a street worker and a tax office employee. City officials had previously said seniority usually determines which employees will be affected. The loss of three full-time police officers would leave the city with 21 full-time officers.
"The talks went very well," Atkinson said. "More ideas were thrown out on the table from both sides."
Atkinson said areas were explored that weren't looked at last time and the City Council is breaking down every line item in the budget.
"The officers have come forward with a lot of ideas than can help with the 2014 budget," Atkinson said.
Anticipated expenses for 2013 include a 7-percent increase in health care, a 21-percent increase in insurances and a 22.7-increase in pension contributions, bringing the tentative spending plan to $8,038,888.
With no tax increase, millage rates for city residents will be 18.47 mills, or $18.47 for every $1,000 of assessed property value, according to the Schuylkill County website.
"We're making progress," FOP President Brian Kotzmoyer said after the meeting.
Kotzmoyer said during the meeting, they moved forward with some of the ideas discussed during the first meeting Dec. 6 and "crunched" more numbers. Kotzmoyer said he was unable to provide any further details Thursday.
"You got to think positive," Kotzmoyer said.
Final approval on the budget is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Dec. 27.
The council members will continue discussions with FOP members with a third executive session at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.
