Pryor Faces $900,000 Budget Cuts, Possible Layoffs

The City of Pryor is cutting nearly $900,000 from its budget as city council members meet tonight to finalize the details of how the cuts will be implemented.

The budget is about a month overdue, and city employees could face layoffs depending on the council’s decisions.

In Monday's meeting, council members reviewed the budget line by line and voted on voluntary severance packages for six employees — one from each department, including the police.

Police Chief Jeremy Cantrell, who is already short six positions from last year, expressed his concerns about further cuts, saying his department is at "critical levels of staffing."

“I think you have to stand up and fight for what you believe in, and as far as the public safety, and that's why I'm here, because I truly believe that we're in critical levels of staffing at this point,” Cantrell said. “With losing the six since I've taken office that have been dissolved, we can't lose no more.”

The meeting is packed with employees from both the police and fire departments, hoping their jobs will be spared from the budget cuts. Some city council members have proposed cutting their own salaries, though that would require a public vote in the next election cycle.

Council members have stated their intention to stay as long as necessary to finalize the budget.