Mayor-elect Helena Moreno says the city’s staffing levels are “very top heavy with very high salaries.”
Why it matters: She tells Axios there will be cuts and reorganizations, especially at the top.
The big picture: City employees are in the process of reapplying for their jobs with the new administration, which starts Jan. 12, 2026.
- Moreno declined to give a target number for payroll or the number of employees, saying her transition team has hired firms to study it.
- But, she said “we just can’t” keep it at the same level, noting a “big boost in unclassified employees” under the Cantrell administration.
- Moreno says she’s looking at “potentially asking people to do more in leadership spots.”
Zoom in: Unclassified employees don’t have the same job protections as classified employees and can be hired and fired at will.
- As of December 2024, about 15% of the city’s employees were unclassified.
- Unclassified positions are usually in leadership roles or in the mayor’s office. Classified jobs are usually first responders, librarians and other office workers.
By the numbers: Personnel costs about $40 million per month currently, Moreno says…