Facing the likelihood of public safety layoffs next year, the Minneapolis City Council on Friday authorized $25,000 incentives for at least 20 and possibly 40 police and firefighters to retire.

The city's strategy is to try to lure more highly paid workers to retire because that could allow a greater number of lower-paid police or firefighters to escape layoffs. For example, two high-earning firefighters cost the city roughly what three low-seniority firefighters cost, according to Mark Lakosky, president of Minneapolis Firefighters Local 82.

But for the council and Mayor R.T. Rybak, public safety worker layoffs or retirements pose the risk of a political backlash from voters who regard police and fire departments as the backbone of city services. For example, the Independence Party launched a lawn sign campaign in 2007 urging Rybak to hire 50 more police officers, but the effort had no discernible impact on the 2009 city elections.

Firefighters already complain that the department is running pumper engines with three firefighters, or one fewer than the national standards. Although Lakosky calls the incentive substantial enough to attract firefighter interest, he said that the city is "really just gambling" by not fully staffing its trucks.

His counterpart at the Police Officers Federation, John Delmonico, said he'll be interested to see how many opt for an incentive that's not as attractive as one offered in 2004. "Times are tougher now," he said. "I have no idea whether a few people will be taking it or more." The city already laid off 10 rookie officers at the start of this year, and losing at least 10 more will affect police response, Delmonico said.

Even if the retirement offers are fully used, there's no guarantee that Rybak won't propose public safety layoffs in his Aug. 16 budget presentation, his chief of staff, Jeremy Hanson Willis, said Friday. "This certainly helps," Willis said. City officials so far have blamed public safety and other budget cuts on reduced state aid.

The chiefs of the fire and police departments now must decide whether to expand beyond the authorized minimum of 10 retirees for each department to the maximum of 20.

The plan authorized Friday offers no guidance on that, but Council Member Betsy Hodges, the budget chairwoman who crafted the proposal, said they'll need to weigh their staffing requirements.

The police department started the year with the equivalent of 893 full-time sworn workers, but losing the minimum of 10 retirees and expected attrition would drop that to 869 people by year's end, spokesman Bill Palmer said. Sworn fire ranks would drop from 418 to 406, with two previous departures and 10 firefighters taking the incentive.

The $25,000 incentive represents the cost that city officials say they'd face for each person laid off, factoring in unemployment compensation and other separation costs. Cops will get the money in their medical expense accounts. Firefighters will get cash because the most senior firefighters participate in a pension plan that earmarks money for medical expenses.

City labor negotiator Tim Giles said he expects most workers who take the incentive will be between ages 55 and 65 with 30 years on the job.

Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438