County Layoffs

Despite the stereotype to the contrary, a job at the county is not guaranteed employment for life. Last Thursday various departments that report to the County Administrator terminated 22 employees with 3 others either leaving in the past few weeks or giving notice as they found other employment. Counting the three who were proactive in their future employment, that is a total of 62 positions that have been eliminated since the first of the year.

The cuts were across the board from director level to entry level positions affecting Parks, Environmental Services, Security, Administrative Services, Department of Transportation, Development Services, Facilities Management, Financial Services and Information Technologies. In some cases the cuts resulted in shrinking a department to the point its functions will be absorbed by other departments. A little belt tightening is usually a good thing, but many times the work not being done now is the kind of thing that will come back to haunt you in the future - Environmental Services being the prime example. They have spent the past 10 years cleaning up messes that were 20 years in the making. Just because the department goes away does not mean the requirements go with it. In some cases it will become a matter of dealing with the urgent instead of the important.

Total dollar savings this year are over 500 thousand and in 2009 will amount to well over one million. With the vacation and sick payout that is owed the employees when they leave taken care of in 2008, the savings in 2009 could result in significantly more than the 1 millon that has been advertised. Other Elected Officials will be dealing with their budget reductions in the manner they deem to have the least impact on the functions of their particular office.

My sympathies to the many dedicated employees who found themselves the unwilling participants in these layoffs. I wish them well in their future employment. They have served the county well, some for decades and others for a relatively short period, but all took pride in their ability to serve the citizens of this county.

CONTACT THE WRITER • HISEY4CD4@MSN.COM

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