Birmingham, AL – Acting Birmingham Mayor Carole Smitherman has fired seven workers in the executive office because she considers the staff too large and wants to save $500,000 from the city's operating budget.
Smitherman said cuts must come from the top, and merit employees will not be affected. Former Mayor Larry Langford's administration had about 82 workers on the executive staff.
She had hinted at cuts early in the week when she said cost-cutting measures could come from the staff. She suspected some workers were duplicating tasks. Teta Spencer who was hired as an administrative assistant two years ago was among those cut.
Spencer said her firing Thursday came as a surprise because Smitherman told workers their jobs were secure at a staff meeting the day she took office.
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