In the face of a $12 million budget shortfall, Hayward’s leaders are slashing their salaries.

The city council and executive staff announced on last week that they would take voluntary pay cuts and pause cost-of-living adjustments as a first step toward addressing the city’s unsustainable finances, which racked up more than $37 million in overtime this past fiscal year, according to the city’s payroll data obtained by Bay Area News Group.

While the savings from the pay cut are a drop in the bucket in addressing the city’s deficit, Salinas said the concessions are an act of good faith as officials prepare to renegotiate contracts with the city’s labor unions ahead of further budget cuts this fall.

“I’m proud of my colleagues, and I’m very proud of our executive team, who have stepped up

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