Tampa cuts 24 jobs in latest round of layoffs

TAMPA— Eighteen people in the city's building department will lose their jobs, reducing the department's total work force by 20 percent.

City officials blamed the dismal real estate market for the layoffs, which were announced Thursday.

"Basically, it's reflecting the downturn in construction activity," said Cyndy Miller, Tampa's director of growth management and development services.

Some of the people losing jobs may be able to find other work in city government, either by filling vacant positions or bumping people with less seniority out of their jobs, Miller said.

The city unveiled a plan two years ago to significantly increase building permits and other fees to help make the Construction Services Division pay for itself. At the time, the city used about $5 million a year in taxpayer money to subsidize the division.

But with the city issuing fewer permits, the revenue hasn't put a dent in the subsidy, Miller said.

The city also is laying off three people in its fire fleet maintenance staff, combining that staff with the main fleet maintenance division as a cost-cutting measure.

Three longtime fiscal services employees in the Tampa Police Department also will lose their jobs.

"It's a sad reality of the economy that we're facing right now," said City Council member John Dingfelder. "It's impacting every segment of our society."

Mayor Pam Iorio expects to face a $40 million shortfall for the next fiscal year because of declining property tax, sales tax and other revenue.

"There will be continued layoffs on an incremental basis," said Darrell Smith, Iorio's chief of staff. "We're asking all the departments to look at their operations, look at how they're doing business and look at opportunities to reduce costs and be more efficient."

Meanwhile, Iorio and the City Council recently approved a contract with the firefighters union that gives rescue workers raises of up to 6 percent and biweekly bonuses of $30 or $110.

That contract adds $2.5 million to city expenses.

In the past two years, the city has reduced its overall work force by nearly 400 positions, or about 8 percent.

Benjamin Buckley, a building inspector in the construction services division for four years, said in some ways it was a relief to get details about the layoffs because rumors have been swirling for weeks.

"Obviously, there's a slow-down of work," he said.

But Buckley wondered why the city didn't try another approach, such as reducing hours to keep people employed.

"I don't think this is a good example to set here in a city that's hurting," he said. "This just isn't the time for this. This is a time when Americans should come together and help each other. That's the patriotic thing to do."

Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3401.