By SCOTT ALLEN, The Herald Journa
The White County Council announced yesterday their intention to not only place a moratorium on hiring and pay raises in 2010 but to eliminate eight full time positions from various county departments.
"It was just a very difficult thing to do," said council president Richard "Buzz" Horton. "I've been on various public boards, and this is as tough as it gets."
The hiring freeze and job cuts came about after the council, which governs county finances, learned that county revenues would decrease by at least 8 percent next year.
"Unfortunately, White County has not escaped the fiscal difficulties found throughout the country," stated the county council in a letter to all county department heads.
The county's largest expense, the council explained, is in personnel costs.
Of the eight positions eliminated, four will be cut from the White County Lakeview Home after the council and commissioners decided to eliminate the majority of the home's budget in 2010.
In 2010, two positions will be cut from White County Jail (no deputies) and one each from the clerk's office and the health department.
The cuts were made during work session in which the council determined the 2010 budget.
"We had talks amongst ourselves, the commissioners were included, and then the officeholders and the department heads were included," said Horton. "
The elimination of jobs came about after the council cut certain line items in the affected departments' budgets.
"We cut some travel expenses, we cut some part-time line items; I believe we cut almost everyone's part-time workers," said Horton. "People lost their jobs, and so we did not take our responsibility lightly. A lot of talk and discussion went into the problems."
The council members and commissioners both felt they should "take the lead" by taking pay cuts in 2010, and each of the 10 county leaders will be paid $600 less next year.
"The only people that took pay cuts were the council and the commissioners," said Horton.
But in addition to cutting eight county employees, the council instituted a hiring and salary freeze.
"No new positions may be added to any county department for the calendar year 2010, nor may any positions eliminated by the council in the 2010 budgets be recreated or replaced," the council said in their letter.
If a county department loses an employee, whether he or she quits or is fired, that employee can be replaced subject to council approval.
In addition, the council will not give any pay raises in 2010, except longevity increases to non-elected employees as specified in the county's salary matrix.