Local
Seattle weighs early-retirement payments for city employees amid tight budget
Seattle City Council members heard Tuesday about a proposed buyout program intended to reduce city payroll costs by paying some employees to retire early. The proposal could affect dozens of workers, but key details were not outlined.
Seattle City Council members heard Tuesday about a proposed early-retirement buyout for city workers, a potential way to reduce payroll costs as the city prepares a tightly constrained budget. The program would pay employees to retire early and could be offered to dozens of workers, according to information presented to the council.
The proposal would be Seattle’s first employee buyout program since 2002. Council members were given few specifics, including how much the city might pay participants or which employees would be eligible.
The plan arrives as budget writers face limited room to adjust city spending. Any savings would depend on the program’s terms and how many employees take an offer; those details were not provided at Tuesday’s discussion.