A shortfall of $4 million in the proposed 2011 budget has led Jackson County officials to cut 17 positions, as well as implement 12 furlough days for county employees next year. The proposed 2011 budget also does not include a raise for county employees.
County manager Darrell Hampton, who noted that this budget process has been the most difficult in his many years in government, notified the 17 employees on Friday that their positions had been eliminated as part of a “reduction in force.” One full-time position was also changed to part-time.
The proposed $35.7 million budget for 2011 is up $610,266 over the current budget. Plans do not call for a millage rate increase.
A public hearing on the proposed budget and millage rate is on the agenda for the Jackson County Board of Commissioners meeting to be held at 6 p.m. Monday at the courthouse.
The budget deficit is due to the county tax digest being down five percent, the slowing economy and the county’s $8 million in debt payment.
In 2011, a hiring freeze will be in place with positions that become vacant not being filled. The 21 vacant positions that the county already has will not be filled.
The 17 positions that were eliminated will save the county $875,456. The positions were cut from the following departments: clerk of courts, code compliance, correctional institute, county manager’s office, EMS, finance, fleet maintenance, information technology, Keep Jackson County Beautiful, parks and recreation, probate court, project management, protective inspection, purchasing, road department and tax commissioner’s office.
In addition to the cuts that have been made in the 2011 budget, the county will also have to cut into the reserve fund for $1.6 million.
17 positions cut in county government
Defined tags for this entry: BOC
Second, I think that about 7 years ago a study was conducted to see if the JCCI was beneficial to the County. Maybe it's time to do that again. I hear their leadership is a joke anyway.How much did JCCI cost the County last year?
I'll bet either one of these answers would save twice as much money than the 17 job losses will save.
Before you start saying anything about JCCI, maybe you should get educated on the topic. JCCI actually helps bring in money to the county.
Thank you BOC.
And how about the Tom Crow Public Safety Training Center, $800,000 from SPLOST. Add another $4 million from a bond, again without a public vote. Not to mention the state provides FREE training. But who wants free when we have so much money to burn.
And how about Clerici, hired as a consultant, without a bid or search. Where's the over sight on that?
And Hampton gets a raise for doing nothing but cost us money. He already makes over $100,000 a year.
We lose quality employees from areas already stripped and lean. The courthouse employees are slammed with state mandates that were shifted to the local level so the state could balance their budget. I feel for these people. I understand that some were about to retire in a few months. Why couldn't they have been offered early retirements for all their loyalty over the years?
What it comes down to is not one of the BOC every had to break a sweat for their income. Most were born with a silver spoon. It is easy to cut the peons when you can't relate.
Guess what all that free inmate labor looks like to big business looking at Jackson ? Like we are still sitting in the 60's It's an antiqued way of doing things whose time is up. If where lucky the state will close it down for us !
Here is an idea. How about taking EMS and the County Jail and letting a privite firm run it. Take that off the books.
Contract out all your road work and stop paying the big bucks for the road equipment lease?
Think out of the box BOC !
#1 How much did Jackson County pay Don Clerice last year and #2 , How much did JCCI cost Jackson County last year.I'm sure it cannot be self sufficient with 174 prisioners. If the manager will not respond, then Maybe Mike can find out.
Get a clue!
Are you serious and one team you two can stop preaching because frankly I don't want someone convicted of a felony out of the cage doing a darn thing because"it's cheaper".
There behind bars for a reason... don't want some criminal at my house when it's on fire. That's why I pay my local fire dept a tax.
Looks like the CI officers and management have nothing better to do but comment on a blog!
Are you serious and one team you two can stop preaching because frankly I don't want someone convicted of a felony out of the cage doing a darn thing because"it's cheaper".
There behind bars for a reason... don't want some criminal at my house when it's on fire. That's why I pay my local fire dept a tax.
I say shut it down !
Well, maybe inmates do provide a source of labor at no direct cost to the County. Somebody pays for it. Taxpayers probably.
But I am darned sure that inmates should work at least as hard as the law-abiding citizens who pay taxes for their support. It does concern me, though, when I see inmates operating tractors and bush hogs along County roads. I can drive a tractor, but responsible leadership would realize that I should not be the person assigned to do it.
Send inmates out to pick up trash. Make them paint guard rails. Make them paint rocks. But don’t let people who haven’t established self-discipline in their own lives operate heavy equipment around citizens or their property. Jack
1.Eliminate vehicles being driven home by County Employees unless you are on call 24hrs a day. This will leave only a few. Probably would save $10,000 a year.
2. Eliminate Sheriff Dept. employees driving cars home each day. Most Cities and Counties have already done this. Savings of about $200,000 a year.
3. Eliminate cell phones for all Departments that are not esential. Savings of $30,000 a year.
4. Eliminate trips and suitcase training in for employees. Approx. savings $30,000 a year.
OK that's $270,000 a year or approx. 9 of the employees. That's 9 families.
I'm sure that the Commissioners took these such items into consideration when putting the Budget together. HA HA.
You should also be asking why no one, even this paper that professes to protect the citizens of Jackson County, will not do any investigation into Don Clerici's contract and paying him over $700,000 last year. They supply an assistant, a cell phone, county computers to him and his employees, county email addresses, offices, new furniture, etc. etc. etc. And yes, the commissioners approve this. They all think it's OK for him to have left the county planning department because he couldn't manage it and then they set him up in business. I'll bet other businesses would like to be set up in business with a cushy deal like this.