Kaysen Won’t Rule Out Layoffs In Fiscal Year 2016

Cheyenne Mayor Rick Kaysen says in light of a city council vote earlier this week limiting the amount of money generated by sanitation fees going to city government, he "won't rule out" laying off city employees in the Fiscal Year that starts July 1, 2015.

The city council on Monday voted to limit the amount of sanitation fee money going into general city operations to no more than 5 percent Kaysen says that while he doesn't want to be accused of using ''scare tactics", the fact is the city will have to make up a difference of around $1,000,000, with no apparent solution in sight.

The mayor says he has asked department heads to begin working on their budget proposals and at this point he has no easy answer as to how to balance the budget.

He says increasing fees to balance the loss of revenue tends to be unpopular, and dipping into the city's budget reserves isn't an option because that money might be needed in an emergency.

Kaysen says the council vote also complicates the task of splitting the planning and development office into two separate agencies, as the council voted to do several months ago. He says that will cost around $180,000, and it's not clear were that money will com from.