Ledger-Dispatch.com | County to consider layoffs

 
                  County to consider layoffs
                  Friday, February 06, 2009
                  By Staff Report

                         
                  The Amador County Board of Supervisors will consider laying 
                  off eight regular employees at its meeting on Tuesday.

                  "The county regrets that the state budget crisis and the 
                  troubled economy have forced us into the position where we 
                  must layoff employees," said Ted Novelli, chairman of the 
                  board of supervisors. "Our employees are our strongest asset, 
                  and we would not take this step if we had not exhausted every 
                  other course ofaction available to us."

                  In an attempt to avoid layoffs, the county instituted a hard 
                  hiring freeze more than 18 months ago. Last year the county 
                  offered an early retirement incentive program, a voluntary 
                  furlough program and a voluntary layoff program to achieve 
                  salary savings. The savings resulting from these measures, 
                  although helpful to the county's bottom line, were not 
                  sufficient to prevent layoffs altogether.

                  "Our earlier cost savings measures did allow us to reduce 
                  dramatically the number of layoffs we would need, and we 
                  appreciate those contributions," said County Administrative 
                  Officer Terri Daly. "Originally, I projected that we would 
                  need 20 to 30 layoffs. Now, however, with our earlier 
                  incentive programs we have reduced that number to eight 
                  regular employees. Our goal was to reduce the number ofneeded 
                  layoffs to zero, but that just wasn't possible."

                  In addition to the eight regular employees, the county will 
                  also cut budgeted hours for seven extra-help employees. 
                  Extra-help employees do not work regular schedules, but are 
                  called in to work when needed.

                  "We hope that we will not have to impose additional layoffs," 
                  Daly said. "However, we are still waiting for the state 
                  legislature to act on the state budget. The state may defer 
                  payments to counties for mandated programs, which would put us 
                  in another credit crunch. Obviously, we hope that doesn't 
                  happen."

                  Employees who are laid off will be given three week's pay. In 
                  addition, they will be placed on recall lists in case the 
                  budget situation improves.




                        Staff Report




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