By CARL E. FEATHER - Staff Writer - cfeather@starbeacon.com
JEFFERSON — A permanent 2010 budget for the county should be ready for a vote next week, says County Administrator Janet Discher.
On Monday, Discher verbally provided all elected officials with their appropriation numbers under the tentative budget hammered out by the Board of Commissioners in work sessions. She’s now waiting for department heads and officials to break down their numbers into operational and personnel costs so that she can complete the budget. They have until Monday to get the information back to her.
Meanwhile, the Board of Commissioners is not wasting any time in implementing the drastic cuts that will have to be made to their own operations. During the agenda meeting, commissioners approved a resolution that will reduce the commissioners’ office staff by 3.5 positions. Those laid off are:
n Heidi Hall, account clerk III, employed since 1991, $15.85 an hour;
n Diana Ondrus, assistant clerk of the board, employed since 2006, $13.41 an hour; and
n Crystal Marie Sircelj, safety coordinator in risk management, employed since 2007, $13.81 an hour.
In addition, Candace Kover-Baker, administrative assistant hired in 2006, will have her hours reduced to 27 per week at $14.69 per hour.
James Hardin, hired in 2006, has been placed on Ohio Public Employees Retirement System disability, effective Jan. 31. Discher has been doing Hardin’s job. She said with the cuts, only 3.5 employees will remain in the commissioners’ office, not including the commissioners, necessitating reduced hours of service to the public.
Effective Feb. 16, the commissioners’ office will be open to the public only from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Employees of the office also are taking furlough days on alternating Fridays.
“We cannot continue to provide the same level of service we used to,” Discher said. “I don’t have enough people.”
She predicted other officials also will be forced to curtail the hours their offices will be open to the public in light of the staffing reductions that will result once this year’s permanent budget is passed.
Thursday afternoon, the Ashtabula County Auditor’s Office announced that dog, vendor and cigarette licenses will be sold at the front counter 9 a.m. to noon only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Estate tax forms will be processed 1 to 4:30 p.m. only on Tuesdays and 8 to 9 a.m. Thursdays.
“We’re not the only office to do this. That’s the direction things are going,” Discher said.
