(Lay-off order rescinded)…The Fire Station #2 will not close either.

A solution was worked out Monday. The Calexico City Council met with the Heffernan Healthcare District Board. The District had expressed an interest in helping the Firefighters keep their jobs and keep the fire station open. The City was negotiating a 30 percent budget cut with the Firefighters Association to help cover a past budget deficit in the city. The Association would not agree to the cuts until they saw updated financial numbers. The city responded by issuing six lay-off notices to firefighters that could force the closure of the fire station. The Healthcare District Board Monday agreed to a $568,000 grant to offset the fiscal concessions being sought by the City from the firefighters association. The grant is for the coming fiscal year. The City expects to fully fund the Fire Department and other city departments, once the past deficit is covered.