The City of Grass Valley is adjusting personnel as part of an effort to reduce expenses during the COVID-19 crisis. City Manager Tim Kiser says that there will be a hiring freeze for a number of positions as well as a handful of layoffs of existing workers to help curtail losses from sales tax and hotel occupancy taxes.

The frozen positions include public safety positions as well as pupblic works and administration.

The layoffs include an Assistant Engineer, a full time and one-partime accountant, and a senior administrative clerk.
Kiser says the loss of sales and occupancy tax is having a dramatic impact on the General Fund, but the additonal loss of Measure E Funds is also significant.

Kiser says the city is estimating a loss of 300 thousand dollars in sales tax for the remainder of this fiscal year and potentially another 600 thousand dollars next year.