Article published November 25, 2009
Lucas County budget could bring layoffs
Volunteers stand poised to save Children's Wonderland
Radio personality Andrew Zepeda has a contract with Lucas County Commissioners to find a home for the holiday exhibit.
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THE BLADE
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By TOM TROY
BLADE POLITICS WRITER
The Lucas County Board of Commissioners yesterday adopted an austere balanced budget that could cost some county workers their jobs, while preserving the county's budget reserve for future financial rainy days.
However, the Children's Wonderland exhibit, which was cut from the budget, is poised for resurrection under a plan to have it run this year by volunteers.
The $132.5 million general fund spending plan adopted yesterday for 2010 still needs to have details inked in.
"For the second consecutive year, we will be required to lay off county employees under the board of county commissioners," county Administrator Michael Beazley said.
He attributed the need for belt-tightening to reductions in all the county's major sources of revenue - sales tax, real estate transfers, property taxes, investments, and revenue sharing from the state.
The budget is a 6.5 percent reduction from the current budget of $141.7 million, and would take the county back to what it spent in 2004, after spending peaked at $146.9 million in 2008.The commissioners agreed to a $1 contract with radio personality Andrew Zepeda of 92.5 KISS-FM to find a home for the Children's Wonderland exhibit.
Commissioner Ben Konop, who proposed the contract with "Andrew Z," as he is known, said Mr. Zepeda has lined up a hall, and had 42 volunteers and six trucks as of yesterday morning. He said Mr. Zepeda would not identify the location until the arrangements are confirmed.
The commissioners this year voted to end its management of the Lucas County Recreation Center and turned over control of the rec center in Maumee and the exhibition halls to nonprofit groups.
Children's Wonderland normally runs from the day after Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve. Mr. Konop said it would likely be opened on a couple of weekends leading up to Christmas if Mr. Zepeda's effort is successful.
Commission President Pete Gerken noted that the county dipped into its reserves in 2008 and 2009, but intends to avoid that in 2010.
"We're lucky we had a savings account. We're not going to live out of our savings accounts," Mr. Gerken said.
To encourage early retirement and avert involuntary layoffs, the commissioners yesterday adopted a buyout policy. It would pay workers who agree to leave by Jan. 31 a bonus of 25 percent of the first $50,000 of their annual pay and 5 percent of pay above $50,000.
Mr. Beazley said the payments would likely range between $5,000 and $15,000 and would be cheaper for the taxpayers than layoffs because a layoff leaves the county obligated for up to 99 weeks of unemployment compensation and six months of health insurance.
"What we're hoping is that over the coming weeks we find out how many might take advantage [of the buyout], working with our collective bargaining groups, and make a determination whether we can reduce the number of layoffs," Mr. Beazley said.
If there are layoffs they would likely occur in the offices of management and budget, building regulations, and facilities, he said.
Layoffs are also possible in the agencies headed by elected officials, including the sheriff's office, although the commissioners cannot make those decisions.
Sheriff Jim Telb did not return a phone call seeking comment. Jim O'Neal, corrections administrator who works on the budget for the sheriff, said the sheriff is seeking to avoid involuntary layoffs.
Commissioner Konop has said he helped broker an agreement between the sheriff and the United Auto Workers union representing sheriff's deputies to come up with concessions and a retirement incentive plan. Mr. O'Neal said the concessions would center mostly on a plan to curtail overtime.
"It would make it so we can cross-utilize people in different sections, which we can't do with the contract right now," Mr. O'Neal said. "It's being discussed, it's not a given yet."
Contact Tom Troy at:
tomtroy@theblade.com
or 419-724-6058.
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