Come July 1, the city of Auburn will not have a human resources director, members of the Auburn City Council decided Thursday.

During a discussion on the proposed 2009-2010 city budget, the council voted 3-2 to remove the position. Those who supported the move described the decision as way to cut costs in tight fiscal times.

But councilors opposed to the budget amendment said the city needs the position to function properly.

"It's putting the city in a bad position," said Councilor Matthew Smith, who opposed with William Graney cutting human resources. "We're opening ourselves up to so many different liabilities and potential lawsuits."

The cut was last in a line of numerous budget amendments made during the meeting. The council is scheduled to vote next week on the final budget. The 2009-2010 fiscal year begins in July.

The HR position, which was has been held by Karen Green since its creation in February 2008, would have been paid $71,046 this fiscal year. The role of the HR director is to manage labor relations and grievance resolution, administer workers' compensation, work with department heads on employee matters and implement personnel policies.

Green declined comment after the meeting Thursday.

Auburn Mayor Michael Quill, who made the motion to amend the budget and remove the position, said many of the issues that came through the HR department were previously handled by the city attorney or the city manager's office.

Green does a great service for city employees and the community, Quill said. But these are tough times, he said.

"We have to decide where we're going to find money to fund other items," Quill said. "All departments, all employees, are asked to do more with less."

Some controversy surrounded the HR director position upon its creation, which City Manager Mark Palesh proposed when starting with the city in 2007.

Auburn residents voted down a measure to eliminate the Civil Service Commission and have an HR director take its place. Council also added a civil service secretary back to the 2008-09 budget after Palesh proposed cutting the position, which Palesh said at the time the HR director made redundant.

Palesh declined to comment Thursday specifically on council's decision.

"When the manager delivers (the budget) to the council, it becomes their budget," Palesh said. "I've already had my opinion. That becomes my operating orders."

There wasn't much debate among council before the HR vote. The vote was largely partisan, with Graney the only Democrat dissenting.

State open government laws say it is legal to discuss government business during a closed party caucus, even if the members of a legislative body at the caucus represent a majority. The city council consists of four Democrats and one Republican.

Before the vote, Christina Selvek, who oversees capital projects and grants for the city, asked to address the council. Selvek spoke in favor of keeping the HR director, but was almost immediately ruled out of order by Councilor Thomas McNabb and Quill.

Quill said there was nothing political about Thursday's decision and noted different council members have discussed eliminating the position in the past.

Councilor Gilda Brower reiterated that during the meeting.

"The only reason this is happening is because of the fiscal challenges we are having," Brower had.

Smith, however, called the move irresponsible.

"We had progressive thinking adding human resources," Smith head. "We just stepped back into the 20th century."

In other news:

* The budget received a few other changes. The council approved adding a part-time clerical position for records management in the city clerk's office. That position, which pays approximately $15,000, was originally eliminated as part of the budget.

The councilors also changed some of the proposed fee changes, doing away with hikes to various recreation and waste disposal fees.

Council members may also cut more by next week, as the police department's vehicle budget and the creation of a public utilities director both received scrutiny.