The Evanston city manager decided against an employee furlough day for September as a solution to upcoming state funding reductions.

City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz and his staff were considering two furlough days in which city employees would take unpaid leave for September and December to attempt to balance upcoming state cuts to Evanston. But Bobkiewicz will not recommend a September furlough day to City Council because its impact on city finances is unclear and the state budget impasse shows no sign of movement, he told staff in an email.

“Saving money from a one day furlough would provide a cushion to whatever the State does to the City of Evanston, but I have no idea if it would help a little or a lot,” Bobkiewicz said in the email. “It is not worth impacting your finances under these circumstances.”

A furlough day in December as well as reductions in employee compensation and extra fees for Evanston residents remain options for reducing the effects of state slashes.

Bobkiewicz, citing his trip with Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl to Springfield on Tuesday, said there did not seem to be any progress in budget negotiations.

“This isn’t how democracy is supposed to work,” Bobkiewicz told The Daily earlier this month. “There was no extraordinary force that kept them from meeting the deadline. There was no natural disaster, no larger economic calamity … So we’re just left to wait.”

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @juliarebeccaj