By firing all 96 of its full-time employees, the cash-strapped city of Maywood, California is saving money by utilizing a strategy well known to American companies: outsourcing. They town may have had to file for bankruptcy if it hadn’t taken this outsourcing approach.

Louise Story, finance reporter for our partner The New York Times, discusses why this dramatic cost-saving measure could help the town of 45,000 escape the pitfall of a $450,000 budget gap.