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December 27, 2011

Essex County layoffs stand

LOHR McKINSTRY Press-Republican

ELIZABETHTOWN — A last-minute drive Tuesday wasn't able to save the jobs of 10 employees who are getting laid off by Essex County to save money.

At the County Board of Supervisors year-end meeting, Supervisor Gerald Morrow (D-Chesterfield) moved to reinstate the 10 employees due to lose their jobs on Jan. 15.

"I supported the budget with the layoffs," Morrow said. "I'd still support it, if it saved us money; it does not."

UNEMPLOYMENT

He said the $280,000 in salaries and benefits the county hoped to save would be eaten up by unemployment costs and Medicaid payments for the 10 workers.

Morrow said the workers will stay at home and collect unemployment that has been estimated at $100,000 if all 10 signed up.

"We are not saving anything, by the time we pay all the benefits they're going to get through other services. I think the money can be found. Keep these people working for Essex County."

MUST BE MADE UP

The layoffs are part of cost savings in the 2012 county budget, which still had a 10 percent tax-levy increase.

"If you're going to restore the layoffs, at some point next year you'll have to identify where the money will come from," County Manager Daniel Palmer said.

"If you're $280,000 short, at some point, you'll have to do some budget transfers."

NO CUTS AT TOP

Supervisor Thomas Scozzafava (R-Moriah) said he was disappointed that only rank-and-file workers were selected for layoffs.

"What disturbs me the most is we did nothing at the top of the food chain. We went after the people making the least, the cleaners and so on. At the top, we did nothing."

Supervisor George Canon (R-Newcomb) said he'd like to see Morrow's resolution amended to eliminate the jobs by attrition, but that also failed to garner enough votes.

Supervisor Edward Hatch (D-Willsboro) said that any jobs restoration should be tabled until January.

"We don't have all the facts and figures to make a decision," Hatch said.

"Ask these 10 employees if it's too quick," Morrow countered. "Their lives are being suspended in front of our eyes."

THE VOTE

The layoffs are at Horace Nye Nursing Home, Sheriff's Department, Department of Public Works, Social Services and other county departments.

The move to rescind the layoffs was narrowly defeated by weighted vote, 1,448 yes to 1,394 no.

Voting to restore the positions were Supervisors Gerald Morrow (D-Chesterfield), Sharon Boisen (I-Essex), Scozzafava, Rob Dobie (D-North Hudson), Cathy Moses (R-Schroon) and Hatch.

With Supervisor Sue Montgomery Corey (D-Minerva) absent, all other lawmakers voted to proceed with the layoffs.

MANAGEMENT CUTS

Also defeated was an attempt to slash 5 percent from the salaries of all Essex County workers making more than $50,000 a year.

Management-confidential employees and department heads are in the budget for the same salaries as this year, Scozzafava said.

"I really think next year we have to look at a lot of these positions and see if they're necessary.

"We have a lot of (department) deputies and assistants, a lot of brass (officers) at the County Jail. We need to look and see where we can reduce.

"We let 10 employees go, and most of them were making less than $25,000 a year. We're looking at salaries that are many times that."

But the only supervisors to vote for the department leaders' pay cuts were Scozzafava, Boisen and Dobie, and it failed, 14 to 3, with Corey absent.

E-mail Lohr McKinstry at: lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com

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