The mayor’s office released statistics Thursday showing the mayor’s hiring freeze, enacted in May, will save the city over $1 million in the 2009 budget.

Madison Comptroller Dean Brasser said the hiring freeze is more of a “soft freeze,” in which there is not an absolute halt on hiring but rather each vacant position is assumed to be vacant unless it is filled by specific approval from the mayor.

According to Rachel Strauch-Nelson, spokesperson for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, the hiring freeze will result in an estimated savings of $1.5 million for the 2009 budget. With an additional 20 percent cut in travel, it is estimated these practices will be offsetting 40 percent of the $4 million deficit for city projects.

Strauch-Nelson added from the start of the freeze the mayor has had 87 requests for job approvals. He has signed off on 44 of those, with others delayed either for a month or into next year. New recruits for the fire department account for 20 of the jobs approved, she said.

“The mayor won’t leave positions open in police or fire,” Strauch-Nelson said, adding all positions in public safety will be approved.

Brasser said the only positions being held open would be ones that would save the city money. For instance, Brasser said, a bus driver position would not be held open because it would not be cost-effective, because the city would have to send a bus driver on overtime to fill the employment gap.

While the hiring freeze is projected to save money in the budget and spending has been below original estimates, Brasser is still projecting a $1 to $2 million budget shortfall.

The problem, Strauch-Nelson said, is revenue from building permits and investment income is down.

Similar budget shortfalls on the county level have resulted in more drastic measures. In June, Dane County employees took a pay cut as a response to a then-$8.8 million projected deficit.

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk recently requested employees take another cut as a result of a higher projected deficit as of September.

Despite the tough budget constraints, Brasser said he thinks the mayor wants to avoid similar practices at the city level.

“The city’s labor agreements are all open and up for negotiating starting in January of 2010,” Brasser said. “The mayor is hopeful we can reach agreements that avoid cuts and furloughs.”