ROYAL OAK — As part of a measure approved at Monday night’s Royal Oak City Commission meeting, more than 70 city employees may lose their jobs.   

The proposal was approved unanimously by the commission in hopes of reducing the city’s projected $8 million deficit in each of the upcoming two years. 

Mayor Jim Ellison said he expects the city’s unions to agree to early retirement plans, which will result in few municipal job losses.

Chuck Bonar of Service Employees International Union, one of the unions representing Royal Oak city employees, said the union is willing to work with the city.

The city currently has about 320 employees.