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GREENSBORO — Forty-nine jobs at City Hall must be eliminated by July 1, either through retirements or attrition.

The City Council told City Manager Mitchell Johnson early Wednesday to reduce the number of city employees from 2,924 to 2,875 — but without cutting part-time or seasonal workers, such as lifeguards.

Councilman Mike Barber, who suggested the cuts, believes the move could reduce the size of government and the burden on the taxpayer.

"That's potentially over $3 million in money not spent on our largest expense," Barber said, referring to personnel costs.

Those cuts will come in addition to the hiring freeze the council also approved Wednesday during a seven-hour meeting that stretched past midnight. That decision solves an immediate problem for the council — finding an extra $500,000 for the police department to stop a spate of killings.

From Dec. 1 to 8, seven people were killed: six shot and one stabbed. Two were victims of gang killings, and three involved drugs, police say.

On Dec. 11, the council ordered Johnson to come up with $500,000 for paying overtime to officers and detectives.

Johnson said Wednesday that $250,000 would come from freezing hiring, except for public safety jobs and key economic development positions.

Johnson also can "unfreeze" positions to address critical issues.

Eliminating the 49 jobs? That's a separate issue, one that Barber has been pushing since he took office in December 2005.

The council approved the motion by 7-2, with members T. Dianne Bellamy-Small and Goldie Wells in opposition.

Wells said during the meeting she feared the decision would send the wrong message to city employees, who might fear that their job will be eliminated.

But Barber said he doesn't want layoffs and is asking only that jobs not be filled when they become vacant.

Barber said the average position at City Hall — including salary and benefits — costs taxpayers about $70,000. Cutting 49 positions would eliminate about $3.4 million from the budget.

The plan gives Johnson control over which positions are eliminated without the council micromanaging his decisions, Barber said. It also puts the city in a stronger financial position when the council discusses next year's budget in the spring.

"This is a more visionary, less shortsighted approach," he said. "This is a credit to (the council). They're dealing with short-term and long-term solutions."

Contact Margaret Moffett Banks at 373-7031 or margaret.banks@news-record.com