In his effort to balance the city’s budget, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has now reached the digging-for-change-under-the-car-seat level:
he’s threatening to fire city employees with unpaid parking tickets, red light camera tickets and water bills.
City workers owe nearly $3 million in fees and fines. They have 30 days to pony up or enter a payment program that can last as long as a year. If they don’t, the Department of Revenue will garnish their wages, and they can be suspended from their jobs. Those who owe more than $1,000 could be fired. It’s a violation of the Municipal Code for city or sister agency employees to owe the city debt.