City of Salem leaders plan to eliminate the deputy city manager position after current Deputy City Manager Scott Archer leaves his post next week. The change is part of a series of cost-cutting top executives began in late  February to save money as Salem faces a nearly $14 million budget defici t  Those cost-cutting measures include eliminating overnight travel for employees, slashing overtime, reducing supply purchases and new software implementations, and leaving certain job openings vacant. City officials announced the deputy manager shift in a news release Tuesday evening, the week before Interim City Manager Krishna Namburi is scheduled to unveil a budget that will include sweeping cuts to city services.  Whether the cuts are implemented will hinge in part on whether voters approve a city property tax levy in May. The deputy city manager role was created by former City Manager Keith Stahley as part of a larger reorganization of city leadership in 2023. Scott Archer, who is leaving his job later this month, oversaw the community services department. Stahley appointed Namburi as a deputy city manager in charge of the enterprise services department.  Stahley abruptly resigned from his post in February after Mayor Julie Hoy led Council President Linda Nishioka to believe that the majority of Salem city councilors supported his ouster. Namburi was unanimously appointed by Salem city councilors as interim city manager last month. Archer’s role overseeing city community services will be filled by Gretchen Bennett, Salem’s human rights manager and homelessness liaison. She’ll serve as acting community services director through Aug. 1, the city news release said. The changes are part of a broader effort to create efficiencies and streamline city processes. The cost-cutting measures have also led to immediate reductions to some programming.  The reduction in overtime costs has resulted in the Salem Police Department canceling its Community Police Academy, one of Salem police’s longest running community engagement programs. Time for officers to attend Salem neighborhood association meetings was also cut as part of the effort to trim spending. Both programs relied on paying officers overtime.  City officials were unable to immediately provide a figure on how much money these cost-cutting measures are expected to save, or explain who decides which job openings will remain vacant to save money.  The cost-saving measures were a decision made by the city’s executive team and that they affect all city employees, city spokeswoman Courtney Knox Busch said. Namburi’s budget draft will be released April 9, and presented to the city budget committee April 16.  Knox Busch said the cost-cutting efforts have been communicated to the public during neighborhood association meetings and at community organizations. The city will also continue to seek efficiencies by reducing overtime for firefighters and police officers, finding ways to implement artificial intelligence to reduce workloads, and to continue auditing city departments, according to a presentation given to neighborhood associations.  Public safety overtime has soared over the past decade, which department leaders attribute largely to vacant positions. The city has hired an outside company which is currently in the process of auditing its IT department. The company will also audit the fire department in early 2026 after the department takes over Salem’s ambulance service from private provider Falck.  The fire department’s budget has soared over the last 20 years with little growth in the number of firefighters, and currently has a budget of $51.4 million.  In December consulting firm Moss Adams performed an audit of the city manager’s office and found that Stahley, leading up to his resignation, was bogged down with day-to-day issues and did not effectively tell other city employees about his decisions, leading to an inefficient city government that fails to set priorities. The report also pointed out that the city manager’s office is significantly understaffed. Contact reporter Joe Siess: joe@salemreporter.com or 503-335-7790. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE – If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE.  The post City eliminates deputy city manager position, curtails travel and other spending  appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less