Salinas firefighters are asking the city council to avoid freezing two vacant positions, saying the fire department's staffing level is already low enough.
"We are such a lean fire department," said Josh Hostetter, head of the Salinas Firefighters Local 1270.
The city is proposing to freeze two vacant firefighter positions to save $335,230, part of the city's effort to close a $7.4 million hole in its $114 million operating budget, according to a staff report prepared for the Salinas city council's Tuesday meeting.
The city will be eliminating 12 vacant positions, mostly in public works, and freezing 22, including 12 police officers and the two firefighters, said Matt Pressey, the city's finance director.
None of those positions are filled, said Ray Corpuz Jr., city manager.