In the Tallinn city system, the layoffs that occurred last year and this year will result in the loss of a total of 200.7 jobs. The most significant decrease, by 42, was in the staff of district administrations. Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski said the goal is to complete structural reforms by June at the latest.
Earlier, decisions were made related to specific reforms. For example, nine positions in the municipal police department have been eliminated as a result of structural reforms. The Tallinn Social and Health Department, along with its administrative area, will lose 23.7 jobs. This has been merged into a single institution to help save costs.
Similarly, in the culture and sports sector, the number of jobs in the Tallinn Department of Culture and Sports and its administrative area will decrease by 9.5. So far, six million euros have been saved, but this is not all. In addition, there is an agreement that 50 percent of the salary fund of the abolished positions can be retained to increase the salaries of other employees.
Many jobs can be eliminated as a result of internal reforms. For example, the merger of four institutions no longer requires four directors. Park guards have also been laid off as they did not add significant value in the context of park maintenance.
The staff of the Vital Statistics Department decreased by four positions because the population registry keepers were consolidated into the Vital Statistics Department. The Transport Department was the least affected by the layoffs, as the number of positions there decreased by only one.
In the city's strategic center, positions were reduced by 11, in the Education Department along with its administrative area by 27, and in the Environment and Public Utilities Department and its administrative area by 27. The first layoff affected city media – the newspapers Pealinn and Stolitsa were closed, and the production of TV programs and the communications department were transferred to the city chancellery. The number of positions in city media decreased by 38.
Space saving has not been a goal in itself, but changes can still be expected in the area of municipal office space. The building on Toompuiestee previously used by city media is being vacated, resulting in significant savings. Currently, the Transport Department operates in the former city media office.
The budget for economic costs related to the production of programs and the publication of newspapers decreased by approximately 2.1 million euros compared to 2023. The annual savings achieved by closing city media is at least 4.2 million euros. The city's financial service is also facing a move, as it is planned to relocate from Rotermann to the renovated strategic center premises on Kaarli Avenue.
If all planned changes are completed by the end of June, then, according to the mayor, the ambition of the current city government's structural reform will end. The organization cannot be kept in a state of stress permanently, and people can continue to work calmly according to their tasks.