LAYOFFS POSSIBLE

TO BALANCE BUDGET

Lindberg Sees 50, Maybe 80; Others See Less

COOPERSTOWN – Perhaps 50 county employees, perhaps as many as 80, will have to be laid off to balance this year’s budget, county Budget Review Committee chair Don Lindberg, R-Worcester,  said today.

“But I can’t see this board doing it,” he said.

While not foreseeing cuts to the extent Lindberg does, both county Board Chair Kathy Clark, R-Otego, and Treasurer Dan Crowell acknowledged layoffs as a possibility.

The three were commenting after Lindberg’s Budget Review Committee pared a $9.2 million budget gap.   The county budget gap now stands at $4.3 million, down from $9.2 million.  Today, the Budget Review Committee made a significant cut of $700,000 to the Department of Social Services.

“There is not a strong desire to do it,” said Crowell.  “We will do everything possible to avoid it, but we will do it if we have to.”

“At this point I don’t know how we close a $4.3 million gap,” said Clark. “We’ll see what people are willing to vote on, but some employees might have to go from full to part-time.”

– Don Mathisen for allOTSEGO.com