A steady stream of Denver City workers on Wednesday blasted a proposed rule change that would make it easier to lay off city workers, regardless of their seniority. At a public hearing before the cities' Career Service board, one city employee called the proposed change to Career Service Rule 14 a "betrayal" while another termed the potential change a "slap in the face."

 Another said if the rule change is passed, it would create a Hunger Games-type scenario with city employees doing all they can to avoid being laid off.

Citing Denver's expected $200 million deficit in 2026, the city's Office of Human Resources executive director, Kathy Nesbitt, this month proposed altering city personnel rules that provide job protection and seniority privileges for long term city workers.

Mayor Michael Johnston has said he supports the rule changes that would impact which city workers are laid off to deal with the projected budget deficit. City administrators said Wednesday they should know the size and scope of the layoffs by mid-August. Denver has about 10,000 employees covered by career service rules.

The Wednesday hearing before the five member Career Service Board was aimed at getting approval for the changes.

Hundreds of city workers watched the hearing in person, online or via closed circuit feed. More than a dozen testified against the proposed changes.

Audra Burgos, who has worked for Denver Parks and Recreation for 37 years, spoke against the change and said seniority and institutional knowledge are important to maintain in the city workforce.

"Knowledge cannot be taken away and that's what I have," said Burgos.

"It's important seniority is still considered. It's the major reason why people want to work for Denver," she said.

 Nesbitt testified the city has not been in a position like this before in terms of budget pressures. She said when it comes to layoffs, under the proposed changes, job performance, history, ability and length of service would all be considered in deciding who gets laid off -- not just tenure.

"This isn't about getting rid of employees who have been here for a long time," she said.

Nesbitt said under the rule changes, "bumping" would no longer be allowed. That rule let senior workers who were laid off stay on the city payroll by taking over the job of a more junior employee. The rule changes would do away with "bumping."

Karla Pierce, a labor lawyer with Denver's City Attorney's office, indicated the rule changes would allow layoffs to be made based more on performance than length of service. But she said ultimately, "We're going to lay off people who perform well."

Neither Pierce nor Nesbitt specified how many layoffs are coming.

Pierce said layoffs would be "substantial" and said city agencies are being asked to slash their budgets by 15% to 20%.

Many of the city workers who testified said the proposed changes would make laying off workers a more subjective proposition and would diminish due process protections.

One city worker testified the rule change would create fear and intimidation in the workplace as bosses try to eliminate critics and career rivals.

Career service board members declined to vote on the proposed changes saying more precision and definition was needed before they could make any changes. They scheduled a follow-up meeting for July 1.