ESCONDIDO -- Twenty-five city employees laid off this week have received severance packages that include cash payments equivalent to anywhere from two to five weeks of salary and the extension of health insurance through July 31.

The size of the cash payments is based on years of service. Workers with less than four years on the job received two weeks of pay, workers with four to nine years received three weeks salary, workers with 10 to 14 years of service got four weeks of pay and workers with 15 years or more got five weeks compensation.

Ralph Ginese, vice president of the Escondido City Employees Association, said Wednesday that he was pleased with the severance packages, explaining that the city's original offer had been two weeks of salary for all laid off employees.

"The city doesn't have to give severance packages, so it's kind of nice," said Ginese, whose union represented 12 of the 25 laid off employees. "It's better than a kick in the shin."

But Mike Diaz, president of the city's firefighters union, said his members had deemed the packages inadequate and decided to augment them with union reserves. He declined to say how much extra the union was providing. The firefighters union represents 10 emergency medical technicians who were laid off.

For comparison purposes, the typical severance package for laid off Vista employees has been one month's salary and a payout equivalent to three months' benefits.

The Escondido City Council approved the severance packages in closed session last month. Sheryl Bennett, the city's director of human resources, said the council is also slated to approve the packages in open session July 8. The total cost of the packages was about $67,000.

City officials estimate the layoffs will save the city about $2 million per year, helping to close a projected $7 million deficit in the city's $80 million annual budget.

In related news, city management recently sent a memo to city employees stipulating that City Manager Clay Phillips receives $213,750 in annual salary.

The memo was a response to complaints that Phillips was getting a raise from $220,000 to $225,000. The memo said the budget for the new fiscal year inaccurately lists the salary for Phillips as $225,000 because an index of city manager salaries in San Diego County sets that as his maximum compensation.

Call staff writer David Garrick at 760-740-5468.