Pam St. John is the first to admit her working relationship with the city of South Portland was strained in recent years.

The South Portland resident worked for nearly 28 years for city government, but lost her job last week in layoffs that city leaders say will help cover a projected budget gap next fiscal year.

St. John, who was a personnel assistant in Human Resources, was among five career employees laid off from the city.

She believes her job was targeted because she sued the city several years ago, alleging a hostile workplace. St. John lost the lawsuit but continued in her employment with the city.

City Manager Jim Gailey said the layoffs were financially driven, an unfortunate necessity in the difficult economy.

St. John notes she had not had a pay raise, other than for cost of living increases, since 1991. “I did not even bother to open my pay stubs,” she said. “Nothing changed in 18 years.”

St. John earned $42,000 a year, when her job was terminated.

As personnel assistant since 1989, St. John handled benefits for city workers. “I followed people through births, marriages, deaths,” St. John said. “The workers were my family. I tried to take care of them.”

St. John estimates that she worked for 10 different Human Resources directors over the years, which included Assistant City Managers who used to have a dual role.

The dismissal poses a particular challenge for St. John to collect retirement benefits. Full benefits are granted starting at age 60.

She is 55 and in the 24th year of paying into a 25-year retirement plan. To collect full benefits, she estimates she will first need to pay $13,000 out of pocket. The cost is to “purchase” the 25th year of her retirement plan.

“Someway, somehow I will do that,” said St. John, who also faces $1,300 in COBRA payments monthly to continue her health insurance at the end of March.

St. John questions why her job was chosen to be cut and why the city did not grant workers “bumping rights.”

“I asked Jim Gailey, as any employee would do, to let me exercise my seniority bumping rights. He said, ‘Not in your position. That is the discretion of the city manager.’ “

St. John said she feels the city’s top leaders never forgot her lawsuit against former City Manager Jeff Jordan and the city of South Portland.

She alleged Jordan’s actions and the actions of other supervisors led to a hostile work environment. The lawsuit was not upheld in court, but St. John resumed her job.

“I feel that this is nothing more than payback for that,” she said. “I call it retaliation.”

Despite the conflicts, St. John said she loved her job and helping employees with their benefits.

“I gave my heart and soul to the city,” she said. “I wanted to leave the city on my own accord. I was not financially ready to go.”