BOC delays cutting staff hours

At its first meeting as a new board, the BOC voted unanimously to postpone action on reducing employee hours a total of 18 hours per month until after a called meeting sometime next week.

The BOC did approve a resolution allowing the chairman to move county employees among departments on a day-to-day basis as the workflow requires.

But the board delayed votes on two possible plans – one by Yearwood to reduce hours and another by newly-elected District 3 Commissioner Steve Worley to instead reduce pay on a sliding scale. Yearwood’s plan would reduce by half the projected budget shortfall of $2.5-$2.7 million. Worley’s plan would reduce it by a fourth.

Sheriff Jud Smith was the only person who addressed the issue during the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting. He said his employees are in life-and-death situations and that their safety would be jeopardized by furloughs that would force him to keep at home seven employees per day.

“I understand we’ve got to do something, but I believe this would be putting citizens in jeopardy and putting my employees at risk of being injured, maimed or killed,” Smith said.

When the cutbacks were addressed at the end of the meeting, county attorney Angie Davis presented three resolutions: One on day-to-day staffing changes and freezing salaries and hiring; one on Yearwood’s plan for a reduced workweek and monthly furloughs; and one on Worley’s proposal to cut wages and salaries.