BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Despite its failure to comply with a federal consent decree, city leaders are proposing the elimination of 144 positions at Baltimore’s Department of Public Works.
The proposed budget, released earlier this month, calls for the reductions primarily in the city’s stormwater and wastewater utilities.
The city entered into a federal consent decree 25 years ago, which requires a massive overhaul to its aging sewage system.
However, the city has yet to comply and recently asked for a second extension in order to ensure compliance.
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“If you take jobs away, to me, that just really doesn’t make sense,” said Stancil McNair, president of the union that represents DPW employees.
“When you take positions away, it’s like what are you doing to the operation?” asked McNair.
In a statement, a DPW spokeswoman vowed the changes would not affect residents’ services. “The utility is eliminating positions that no longer meet operational needs and creating modern, specialized roles. These changes will not have any impact on service delivery for residents.”
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The proposed budget also calls for an additional 15 new crews to handle solid waste. It also calls for an additional 16 new positions to the Mayor’s office.
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“It’s really distasteful when money is being thrown around, and we really had to fight for ours,” said McNair.
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