Facing a projected one million dollar budget shortfall and possible staff layoffs, Mammoth Town officials report that a tentative agreement with the employee groups has been reached.

Jobs will be eliminated, but Town Communications Manager Stuart Brown reports that so far it appears that golden handshakes, are the preferred method of cost cutting.

The details are still being hammered out and not being released to the public until they are finalized, but it looks like some employees will be asked to take early retirement options. Town officials say that the package does include elimination of some positions, redirecting costs from the general fund to other sources where appropriate, and concessions from the employees.

Money that the Community Development Department takes in from planning and building fees has come up short again due to the construction slowdown. With no construction pick up in sight, the town is one million dollars short this year. In past months, the Town Council decided to pay Community Development shortfalls out of the general fund. Building permits and planning fees came up $1.5 million short in 2007-2008, but the town covered with general fund money.

Brown explained that these staffing changes are expected to keep the town ahead in the next fiscal year as well.

Earlier, the speculation was that between seven and twelve Town employees might be laid off to make up for the lack of development money coming in to town coffers. With this tentative agreement, Stuart Brown says that Town Manager Rob Clark will finalize the details by the end of next week. The entire plan is scheduled to be up for Town Council approval December 17th.

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