CLICK HERE AT 10 A.M. 5/6
TO WATCH MAY MEETING
County Board
Will Consider
Hiring Freezes
At Second May Meeting,
Layoffs Will Be On Table
By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
COOPERSTOWN – Expecting at least a 20 percent cut in state aid and reimbursements, and perhaps as much as 50 percent, the county Board of Representatives is expected to act on hiring and overtime freezes at its monthly meeting at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
The meeting, as COVID-19 impacts come into focus, may be watched via Facebook Live by clicking on this link
The board’s vice chair, Meg Kennedy, C-Hartwick/Milford/New Lisbon, said the tougher decision – layoffs – will likely be addressed at a special county board meeting still to be scheduled the week of May 18.
“We want to maintain cash flow through the summer,” said Kennedy, who is also Administration (ways & means) Committee chair, “and so employees will hopefully jump on the unemployment benefits with the additional $600, while it lasts.”
In addition to the freezes, the county board will be asked to issue revenue-anticipation notes enabling it to, in effect, borrow money to cover shortfalls that may result from Albany cutbacks.
Another resolution would allow the county to suspend monthly loan repayment for 60 days due to the COVID-19 threat.
All of these resolutions depend on how the county’s fiscal picture evolves. “We’re authorizing this to happen,” said Kennedy. “Then it can happen.”
The Board would do well to suspend any search activities for a County Administrator even before laying off current employees. This is not the atmosphere in which we should be adding a 6-figure annual salary to the County’s budget.
NO administrator! And you hope the employees will jump on the unemployment? Aren’t you the compassionate one, Ms Kennedy.
How about 25% of the board leaves? That’ll save some money.