Chapala Mayor Joaquin Huerta intends to cut the municipal government’s bloated payroll in a bid to rectify the municipality’s shaky financial status.
The goal is to slash payroll expenses by 15 to 20 percent by reducing city hall staff. Huerta says that will be accomplished by encouraging some employees to retire or resign voluntarily and merging government offices that handle similar or parallel duties.
Personnel will also be evaluated on factors such as punctuality, performance and honesty to determine if there are grounds for dismissal. The staff cuts may be applied to department heads as well as those holding low ranking jobs.
The mayor stressed that he is undertaking various other belt-tightening tactics, including cutbacks on fuel consumption and the purchase of medicines dispensed at the municipal clinic.
Long-term strategies are also being developed to boost treasury income and to chip away at high price tag services the government pays for including state-operated wastewater treatment plants and solid waste disposal at a private landfill facility.
Recognizing that he can’t achieve immediate gains, Huerta says the ultimate aim is to mend the financial crisis by the end of his term in office.