11/11/2008 5:34:00 PM County freezes hiring, requires review to fill vacant positions
By Allison Arthur
A formal hiring freeze was approved Monday by Jefferson County commissioners because of economic uncertainty.
"The housing slump and general economic slowdown has affected county revenues from taxes and fees, while increasing energy costs and general inflation are raising expenses," concluded County Administrator Philip Morley in a written analysis.
Morley, who started the job in September, said he still was working on the proposed 2009 county budget. A hearing on the budget is anticipated for Dec. 8, with adoption set for Dec. 15.
In addition to a freeze on new positions unless they are "mission critical," any vacant positions - Morley said there were seven or eight - will need to be reviewed by Morley first.
Mission-critical positions are defined in the commission's resolution as "those which must be filled due to contractual obligations, exposure to liability, specific technical expertise necessary for the operation of internal systems or due to county ordinance or statutory provisions."
Commissioners approved Morley's request as part of their consent agenda and only briefly discussed the resolution.
Commissioner David Sullivan, D-Cape George, said the motion seemed to formalize what county department heads and elected officials were practicing already.
In September, Interim County Administrator Dennis Richards said that some positions weren't being filled and some departments had asked employees to cut back to four nine-hour days weekly.
Richards also said that there was no edict issued to departments to reduce hours, but he said some people in the health department voluntarily had reduced their hours.
Morley said there were seven or eight vacancies, including Allen Sartin's position as central services director, that had not been filled. Morley said he had not yet made a recommendation to commissioners regarding this position, which carries an annual salary of $81,748, plus benefits.
The motion commissioners approved noted the national, state and local housing and economic slowdown likely will hinder the county's revenues. While revenues would be lower than anticipated, inflation has increased, and the largest item in the county's budget is salaries and benefits.
In a memo to department heads and elected officials Nov. 3, Morley reminded people of budget pressures facing local governments.
"For the next few years all of us in Jefferson County government will need to work together to respond to these realities," Morley wrote.
He noted that commissioners need to pass a 2009 budget in December and that Jefferson County was fortunate that commissioners have a general fund balance.
Morley expects to complete balancing the budget at month's end.
A proposed 2009 general fund spending budget of $16 million was out of kilter by $1.5 million in early September, with real estate excise tax revenue "dropping like a rock" and sales tax revenue down as well.
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