Police, Fire Furloughed In This Chicago Suburb: Reports

HARVEY, IL — Dozens of city of Harvey employees have been furloughed, including in the police and fire departments, according to reports.

The city council passed an ordinance last week to request a certification to classify the city as financially distressed, according to information posted on the city of Harvey’s Facebook page.

In a message to the community, Mayor Christopher Clark cited “years of financial mismanagement, corruption, and neglect by past administrations that left Harvey buried in debt” and wrote that Harvey “simply doesn’t have the funds to continue business as usual.”

Clark has been mayor for six years. When he took office, Harvey was $164 million in debt and it is now roughly $140 million in debt, WGN reported.

Seeking classification as a financially distressed city allows the state to assist Harvey, according to Clark.

Of the 69 workers furloughed, 24 are employed with the police department, according to WGN, which reported 98 city staffers will continue working. Clark announced Tuesday that Cook County sheriff’s deputies would work with Harvey police to provide law enforcement services to the city.

The fire department lost 17 firefighters to the furloughs, according to WLS.

Some community organizations are calling for Clark to step down, WGN reported. A public works union spokesperson told WLS the city is mismanaged.

“This mayor has been in office for more than six years, so blaming his predecessor is baseless,” the spokesperson said.