Butler City Council on Thursday will consider instituting a hiring freeze.

The freeze, which was brought up by Councilman Michael Walter at Tuesday’s meeting at the city building, would mean Butler would hire no one else for the rest of 2016. It would include all city jobs.

The motion would need to pass at least by a 3-2 council majority.

The freeze was suggested as a way to save money so the city doesn’t run out of cash before the end of the year. After the council’s meeting to discuss finances on July 14, Walter estimated that the city will run out of money by mid-November.

“Once we get a handle on this we can change (it),” Walter said.

If passed, the freeze would not affect hirings already up for motion by council, nor would it affect appointing a fifth council member once Richard Schontz resigns Friday.

Mayor Tom Donaldson said such a freeze would “... endanger my police, but we’ve got money problems in the city,” he said. “We have to start somewhere. It’s the peak of the vacation season and the (officers) are working short-handed.”

For a complete report, get Wednesday's Butler Eagle.