San Luis city offices to remain on four-day schedule
SAN LUIS, Ariz. – Most city offices here will remain open to the public 10 hours a day, Monday through Thursday, instead of eight hours, five days a week.
The San Luis City Council opted to stay on the four-day schedule the city adopted in 2008, prompting applause by dozens of city employees who attended the recent session at which the issue was discussed.
But that decision was not prompted solely by employees’ preferences. City Administrator Tadeo De La Hoya said the fourday schedule has saved the city nearly $500,000 over 10 years.
The four-day schedule does not apply to police officers and fire department employees who work in shifts around the clock. It also does not apply to the city public works and parks and recreation departments, which work eighthour days Monday through Friday.
The issue was included on the council agenda at the request of Councilman Mario Buchanan Jr., who said some residents had expressed displeasure to him with the four-day schedule.
“This is a public office,” he said, referring to City Hall. “We provide a public service. I think it ought to be open five days a week for eight hours a day.”
De La Hoya said the four-day schedule has resulted in an annual savings to the city of about $50,000, primarily in the cost of electricity and water consumption, but has cut other office expenses as well by 30%.
Mayor Gerardo Sanchez said the city went on the four-day schedule when it was looking for ways to reduce expenses during the economic recession.
Even now, he said, the schedule acts as an incentive to attract and retain city employees, who like the option of having one extra day to themselves to take care of personal or family matters.
De La Hoya said a survey by the Arizona League of Cities and Towns found that 70 of 91 municipal governments in Arizona have adopted a four-day schedule.
“The majority of cities have gone or are thinking about going on a four-day work week because it saves and having a free Friday is a benefit for employees,” Sanchez said.