Mayor Oscar Goodman said today he’s only waiting on a legal opinion before moving forward with his plan to fire most city workers, but offer to re-hire them at lower pay. That’s Goodman’s solution after unions representing city workers balked at taking a requested 8 percent pay cut in the current fiscal year and next year, as well as forgoing all merit, step and longevity pay increases.

Goodman’s insistence on the plan got him labeled a “bully” by union leaders at Wednesday’s council meeting, where elected officials voted to accept a preliminary budget that will see 146 people laid off if unions don’t agree to concessions. Goodman has repeatedly called on unions to do the “right thing” and accept pay cuts so nobody has to be laid off.

“Right now, I’m looking to see how they respond to my all-or-nothing approach,” Goodman said. “I want to resolve this. I’m not doing this for me.”

The city is facing a $70 million budget shortfall this year, and possibly $40 million next year, as tax revenues have fallen due to the recession. Goodman acknowledged today that while no one would be laid off under the salary cut/no raise plan, he could not guarantee workers would not face layoffs in the future if the economy doesn’t improve.

Goodman said “nothing’s off the table,” but not before saying city emergency and budget reserve funds cannot be used to balance the budget. He said an increase in property taxes of perhaps 5 cents “wouldn’t be felt” because home values have fallen, but added “I don’t want to place any additional burden on taxpayers.”

Legally, Goodman said, he could not lay off public safety employees such as firefighters or city marshals, who are police officers charged with patrolling city property, including parks. However, Goodman says he wants to study privatizing ambulance services in the city, thus reducing the ranks of city firefighters. The mayor insisted “I’m not threatening anybody,” but the move would clearly enable the city to lay off firefighters and achieve salary savings within the parameters of existing labor contracts.

“I said all or nothing, and I mean that,” Goodman said, adding that he didn’t want to tell his staff to accept 8 percent pay cuts without insisting that all city employees pitch in.

Later, Goodman explained his approach to dealing with unions: “It’s like a parent with a child. If the child keeps doing something bad…” Asked what “bad” thing the unions had done — thus far, they are insisting on sticking by the terms of agreements negotiated and signed by the city — Goodman replied, “Nothing. I’m asking them to do the right thing” and accept cuts.

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