Newark Mayor Cory Booker announced Tuesday a controversial effort to bridge a projected $180 million budget deficit.

Booker has offered all city workers, excluding police and firefighters, a retirement buyout package. Employees would receive a lump sum, health insurance and sick leave payouts in exchange for getting off Newark's books.

The alternatives, Booker said, are raising taxes or layoffs.

Local 617 President Rahman Muhammad isn't happy with the buyout proposal.

"Unless you are a certain age, it does not benefit you," Muhammad said.

Newark, however, doesn't have much of a choice, the mayor said.

"We want to do the right things and responsible things," Booker said. He blames the previous administration for the predicament. "We just have a financial disaster."