Lancaster County employees are bracing for job cuts expected before the end of the year to help mend a projected $1.2 million budget shortfall.
Lancaster County Commissioner Craig Lehman says the decision to not raise taxes in 2009, given the economic state, has lead to some difficult decision-making in drafting the 2010 budget.
“We are going through, what I consider to be, a thoughtful and reasonable process by doing service delivery reviews,” explains Lehman.
Two consulting firms are currently evaluating the efficiency of county departments. One of the companies is focusing on the Departments of Parks and Recreation and Facilities. The other firm is looking at the Department of Human Services, which Lehman says makes up 55% of the county’s budget.
There are also internal reviews going on within several departments. The studies are expected to be complete by the end of the month. At that point, Lehman says there will be a public presentation held to explain the findings of the reports to the people. Lehman would not speculate on the number of potential layoffs.
“If you’re asking me, ‘Are there going to be across-the-board layoffs?’ The answer is ‘No.’ If you’re asking me that, ‘As a result of these service reviews, could there be some positions eliminated and some positions consolidated?’ The answer is ‘I believe that is likely,’’ explains Lehman.
The county adopted a severance policy last week. At least some employees received a copy of the policy via email Monday. The severance includes between two and five weeks pay, depending on the employee’s length of employment. It also includes reimbursement of Cobra Health Care benefits for up to three months.
"We're trying to be respectful of the fact that employees have done a good job in the county and deserve the respect [in return] in a practical way," says Lehman.
The layoffs would come just in time for the holidays. Employees we spoke to off-camera say they are concerned. The workers explained they could not talk on-camera, because it’s against the policy to speak to media.
