ATTLEBORO - Mayor Kevin Dumas confirmed Monday that 15 city workers will be laid off next year to help cope with an estimated $2 million deficit, and the city's personnel consultant said those job cuts could have been averted if unions had opted for a medical plan with higher co-payments.

One of the 15 will be reduced to part time, but the other 14 workers will lose their jobs starting July 1, when the city's $100 million-plus budget for fiscal year 2009 takes effect.

Dumas, who made a preliminary announcement Friday had been scheduled to release detailed information about the layoffs, but not all of the affected workers have been notified. That process could be complete by today, he said.

Meanwhile, personnel consultant Jan Silverman said city unions rejected a proposal that would likely have saved the 15 jobs.

She told city councilors during a budget meeting Monday night that the city asked unions to accept a health insurance plan with higher co-pays. That would have resulted in lower premiums, saving the city and workers $1 million. The city, which pays 75 percent of the premiums would have saved $750,000, while workers, who pay the remaining 25 percent, would have saved $250,000.

Most of the $750,000 would have gone to the school department, which has more employees, but the cash saved on the city side where the layoffs are planned would have been enough to save the jobs, Silverman said.

Individual workers would have had to absorb higher co-payments, however. Most co-pays are now in the $5 to $10 range, she said.

In addition to the $750,000 in premium increases, the city will also have to come up with about $135,000 in unemployment costs, adding to the overall budget problem.

While costs such as health insurance are going up, Budget Administrator Barry LaCasse and Building Inspector Doug Semple said revenue is clearly going down.

LaCasse said collection of automobile excise taxes will be off $100,000 to $300,000 this year, and the trend is expected to continue into next year.

And Semple said building fees are down about $177,000.

The trend is troubling and reflects a faltering economy, LaCasse said.

It's so troubling that the administration has lowered revenue projections by $800,000 for next year, he said.

"We're not going to meet our number as anticipated," LaCasse said. "People aren't buying cars. It's tough out there." On the building side, revenue is off because people are opting for repairs and small projects, rather than new construction, Semple said.

But he doesn't expect the situation to get worse or better - for now.

"I think we've hit bottom, but things won't get better until they get started on the industrial business park," Semple said.

Two companies are scheduled to build there by early 2009.