Ill. city doesn't have enough cash to pay workers

[February 23, 2009]  VENICE (AP) -- City workers in the small southern Illinois community of Venice got an unpleasant surprise instead of their paychecks this week.

Comptroller Roseann Koelker said in a release Friday that the city of Venice didn't have the $22,000 it needed to make payroll.

Koelker says the money would be deposited as soon as it became available. The number of workers affected by the pay delay was not immediately known.

Police Chief Shawn Tyler says city officials knew about the situation earlier in the week but didn't warn workers.

Venice has about 2,400 residents and is 257 miles southwest of Chicago.

[Associated Press]

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