Duluth Councilors Question Staff Cuts, City Attorney’s Suspension

DULUTH, Minn. – The city of Duluth is eliminating two positions as part of its 2020 budget.

The employees in those positions have been offered new jobs with the city, but it’s unclear if their pay will be reduced.

One position from the Parks and Recreation Department and one position from Fleet and Maintenance have been cut, according to Duluth City Councilor Derek Medved.

The city’s chief administrative officer, Noah Schuchman, was asked about the position eliminations at the city council’s agenda session.

“We did have two position moves that came out of the budget in 2020 but no employees were laid off,” explained Schuchman.

Schuchman did not say whether the two employees affected will be paid less in their new positions with the city, or whether their seniority will be impacted.

Councilor Medved spoke to Fox 21 after the meeting. He doesn’t know specifically how much those employees were making before or how much their new jobs pay, but the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 66 reportedly told Medved the employees would now be making less, and that their seniority could also be in jeopardy.

“I think loyalty is a very big thing for the city and I think the administration did a very good job of continuing to employ these individuals, but I think from a loyalty standpoint honoring the pay rate and also seniority is important for me as a council member,” said Medved.

It’s not known why the two positions were cut.

The job eliminations come after Mayor Emily Larson hired a full-time sustainability officer in January, who is making at least $81,000 per year.

Schuchman also briefly commented on the job status of City Attorney Gunnar Johnson.

Johnson says he was placed on administrative suspension in February after complaints from two employees in his office.

“There’s not any additional information at this point that I’m able to share. There is a third party involved in the process and so it is in their hands to dictate the timeline,” explained Schuchman.

The city has hired an outside firm to investigate the complaints against Johnson.

If the mayor moves to fire Johnson, the city council would have the ultimate say for or against that firing.