Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Amidst Economic Crisis Caused by COVID-19 Pandemic, Westland Furloughs 66% of City's Non Public Safety Workforce

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 734.422.1230

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Amidst Economic Crisis Caused by COVID-19 Pandemic, Westland Furloughs 66% of City's Non Public Safety Workforce

Westland, MI (May 1, 2020) - Mayor William R. Wild has announced the implementation of an extensive employee furlough plan which will take effect at the end of business today, Friday, May 1st.

The plan will allow the City to manage expenses as Westland prepares for a significant loss of revenue, while allowing employees to take advantage of federal unemployment benefits under the CARES Act with the goal being to bring employees back to work as soon as possible.

This plan immediately will furlough 77 employees. This includes employees from the AFSCME 1602 union which includes DPS and clerical workers; the UAW union which includes Supervisors & Foreman; the Mayor's appointed staff, including within the Mayor's Office, and part-time employees. City contractors have also made adjustments to reduce their costs. The first responders of the Westland Police and Fire Departments are not affected by this furlough plan. Overall, 66% of the City's workforce, outside of Police and Fire, will be included. The 18th District Court and the Westland Public Library are currently working on furlough plans similar to the City.

"The decision to place such a large number of employees on temporary furlough was difficult, but necessary to mitigate the financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic as municipalities across the nation are projecting budget shortfalls in the upcoming years," commented Mayor Wild. "All of the City's employees are essential workers and and as Governor Whitmer's orders are lifted, we will re-evaluate and bring employees back to work in stages."

Furloughed employees will continue to receive healthcare, dental, optical and life insurance benefits. The temporary furlough will save the City approximately $250,000 per month and those amounts will increase significantly with plans from the Court and Library.

For more information, please call (734) 467-3200

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Westland Fire Department are licensed paramedics who responded to over 9,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.