Norwalk has instituted an immediate hiring freeze and program suspensions in order to cut costs at the city level.

Mayor Richard Moccia says revenues are down, and nearly $2 million needs to be trimmed from the budget. Layoffs are not part of the reduction plans.

Residents, however, will see decreased services from the Norwalk Public Library, which will be closed on Sundays starting Nov. 30. Other program suspensions include leaf and bulk trash pickup.

The police and fire departments will also need to make sacrifices. Though no personnel will be cut, the police department will hire only nine of the 12 new employees it had planned to enlist, Moccia says. Patrol staffing will also be reduced by one officer per shift.

Moccia says the city is still in a better position than other municipalities actively considering layoffs. He says Norwalk is also mulling a boot program to pull revenue from unpaid car taxes.