TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

Some commissioners trying to avoid layoffs

ADVERTISEMENT

By GARY PINNELL

Highlands Today

Published: July 25, 2009

SEBRING - Some of the 21 employees to be laid off by Highlands County saw a ray of hope after Thursday's budget hearings.

The question commissioners must answer is how to make up the $3.3 million deficit from the $145.9 million budget. On June 30, Administrator Michael Wright suggested laying off 21 employees, but Commissioners Guy Maxcy, Edgar Stokes and Don Bates would prefer to save some of those jobs.

Maxcy didn't like being placed in that position. Former Administrator Carl Cool, he said, would have presented the solution to the commission. Wright stopped $3.3 million short of the solution, and sought the guidance of the five commissioners.

"I'm not really pleased about that," Maxcy said, looking directly at Wright. "This puts me in a little bit of an awkward position."

Maxcy also isn't on board with the proposed merger of the human services and housing departments. Kevin Roberts, the human services manager who retired last year, was an absolute legacy, Maxcy said, and built the department into an award winner. He wanted Wright to consult with Roberts and his replacement, Mary Foy, who may be one of the 21 laid off.

Commission chair Barbara Stewart disagreed. This is a way to offer the same housing and human services, but cut the overhead.

In economically stressful times, commissioners Don Bates and Edgar Stokes pointed out, more Highlands County citizens will be relying on parks, recreation, housing and human services.

Some employees will have to go - the building department was mentioned - because there is no work for them, most commissioners agreed. Wright was directed to document how much money the rest of the 21 layoffs will save the county. He will also investigate how much money could be saved with a 5 percent pay cut for all employees.

The county will lose employees over the next 12 months anyway, Wright suggested. Some will die, some will retire, some will quit, some will be fired.

A millage increase was brought up briefly, but Stewart and Commissioner Jeff Carlson both interjected they will not hike taxes. In the June 30 budget letter, Wright said an increase from the current 7.1 mills to 8 mills would bring in $5 million.

There is money in the budget that could be used to solve the deficit, Wright said. For instance, there is a $1 million transfer from solid waste that is scheduled to be used by the transportation department. After the meeting, Wright said it could be redirected to the general fund.

Wright again explained his reasoning behind a $4.8 million budget request to build Phase 3 of Sebring Parkway, from the 90-degree turn in Sebring to South Florida Community College. A $1.25 million state grant will be revoked if the county doesn't take the money, and it can't be used anywhere else, Wright said. The $3.55 million remainder comes from a capital fund that can be used only for construction, not to pay salaries.

That didn't impress Chester Downing, a former teacher who encouraged the commission to stop any further discussion of the parkway.

"I never saw any sense in it," Downing said. The county should build up another road instead, like CR 17, he suggested.

At their 6 p.m. meeting, the commission was also addressed by Dave Butler, who 36-year career with the road and bridge department could be on the line.

Layoffs, he said, "are going to hurt a lot of people," Butler, a Highlands County native, admonished the commissioners. "Think about it some more."

He was also upset that the commissioners were thinking of a 5 percent pay cut for employees, on top of forcing them to pay $1,200 to $1,500 for their health insurance.

Keeping employees for another year, spending more of the anticipated $18.5 million reserves that should be left over at the end of this fiscal year, and spending money on projects were all dreaded options by the commissioners. The recession may deepen.

Real estate agent Steve Fruit suggested the administration go back to look at 2000-2003 period, before jobs were added to the county payroll, to see what can be taken away. "See what we were doing then that we don't need to do."

"We've got to cut jobs. We've got to roll back salaries," Carlson insisted. "I don't think we've reached the hard economic times yet."

"I think we're two or three years out," Wright suggested.

But when the recession ends, the county will gain population again, he reminded. "We need to prepare for that."

Budget notes

•Supervisor of Elections Joe Campbell asked for the commissioners' understanding. His budget will be higher because of a gubernatorial primary and election in 2010. He has allowed more money than he did in 2006, because he'll have to pay more for poll workers and absentee ballots.

•Clerk of Courts Bob Germaine offered to cut the Grantis program, $16,500, which allows the clerk to videotape and the public to view county commission meetings. Documents introduced at the meetings are also available on the clerk's web site.

"That's one of the best things the county has done," Stewart shook her head. None of the other commissioners wanted to kill the program either.

Germaine also offered to furlough his clerks one day a month, which would save $118,000. "But don't ask me to do it unless everybody is doing it."

• County attorney Ross McBeth offered a correction to a story in this newspaper which said he billed $418,258 this year. He budgeted that amount, but is on a course to bill $376,000.

Highlands Today reporter Gary Pinnell can be reached at 863-386-5828 or gpinnell@highlandstoday.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

ADVERTISEMENT