Five City Employees Leave Voluntarily, Saving More than $575,000

In July, Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling announced the start of a new program that offers city employees a cash incentive for leaving.

Earling said the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP) is in response to the $1.1 million shortfall the City is facing and an effort to begin the 2013 budget process.

This week, Earling said that nine employees applied for the program and six were accepted, given the program criteria originally outlined. (After the initial acceptance, one member revoked his application.) The ongoing savings for these five positions that will be eliminated is $575,491.

The program's goal was to reduce the City’s overall salary costs by reducing the number full-time employee levels while minimizing the impact of services. Employees were offered incentives to voluntarily separate from employment, either through retirement or resignation.