Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker has done an excellent job of leading our community during the last several chaotic weeks since the unwelcomed COVID-19 virus came to town and changed everything.
Barker’s calm demeanor and his thoughtful, deliberate and encouraging way of tackling a seemingly insurmountable challenge is exactly what the Hub City needed during a challenging time such as this.
We applaud him – and his administration – for bringing us this far safely and soundly.
However, Barker took a huge step backwards earlier this week when he announced plans to lay off city employees after learning about steep declines in sales tax revenues for the month of March.
We’re certain it wasn’t an easy decision to make, but we’re also certain it was the wrong decision.
Don’t get us wrong. We’re proud of Barker for taking the necessary steps to keep a balanced budget during this time. Previous administrations didn’t do the same even in the best economic conditions.
However, we agree with Ward 2 City Councilmember Deborah Delgado, who thinks other options should have been vetted.
In an open letter to city employees published on Page 5A of this newspaper, Delgado spells out why she disagreed with the administration’s decision and she makes several good points why the layoffs are a mistake.
At the top of the list is the fact employees whose positions are being cut risk finding themselves – and their families – without health insurance at the absolute worst imagineable time.
In her letter, Delgado argues that management-level employees should help carry the burden.
“If there is pain that must be borne in this space, we all should be willing to shoulder that pain,” she wrote.
Instead, Delgado argues that a temporary, across-the-board 15% pay cut would enable the City to continue to operate at maximum capacity and still keep all of the positions intact.
While we certainly do not agree with all of the arguments Delgado makes, we do think there is wisdom in this particular train of thought.
Furthermore, the City is sending the wrong message to area businesses by opting for layoffs rather than rolling up its sleeves to find a different way to salvage those positions.
As Delgado points out, “if we are ‘Hattiesburg Strong,’ we need to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.”
When the COVID-19 virus first reared its ugly head in this community, too many local businesses – some of which had not yet been impacted by the long-term effects of a rapidly-shrinking economy – chose to close their doors and send their employees home. That, by no means, is meant to disparage those businesses who had no other choice, but as is always the case in calamities such as this, it’s clear that some used it simply as an excuse to justify lining their own pockets.
For the record, this newspaper will be surely criticized for taking this stance and some so-called community leaders will whisper about how we are not being good “team players” by questioning the City’s decision during a time like this.
In some cases, they will be the same individuals who have actively worked against us and other members of the local media to suppress information about local testing statistics and other important news during the pandemic.
We know Mayor Barker has his heart in the right place and we believe him when he says the decision was not made easily.
And perhaps if the administration was more transparent about the decision-making process behind the planned reduction in force, we would feel differently.
But as it stands, we wish more consideration would have been given to other alternatives besides cutting positions, cutting services, and leaving city workers high and dry at a time such as this.
Gustafson is the not-so-mild-mannered editor and publisher of The PineBelt NEWS. Email him at: david@HubCitySPOKES.com
