Posted on 11/09/2012 12:45:22 AM PST by My Favorite Headache
Wilkes-Barre city employees will know by the end of the week if their jobs are safe from furloughs during the final six weeks of the year, city officials said Wednesday.
In October, the city asked its nearly 300 employees to take voluntary furloughs to patch a $2 million deficit. But the number of employees who accepted them by last Friday's deadline was not enough to solve the city's budget woes, forcing the city to resort to mandatory furloughs, city spokesman Drew McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin said officials are still determining how they can reduce the work force without diminishing services. The city will make a public announcement by Friday, McLaughlin said.
The city's deficit is primarily rooted in outstanding tax revenue owed by former county collector Centax, along with shortfalls in its projected revenue. Although the city has received $400,000 from Centax during the last several weeks, the now-defunct company still owes $1.3 million. McLaughlin said officials from H.A. Berkheimer, the company now in charge of collecting the tax, told the city they expect to gain access to the Centax accounts holding the city's money "within the next few weeks," a major step in the payment process.
City administrator Marie McCormick said she remains optimistic the city will be paid in full before the year's end. But the money won't arrive in time to prevent the furloughs and restructuring of the city's employment that Mayor Tom Leighton warned of last month in his budget proposal.
"We're definitely going to restructure, that is a given," McLaughlin said. Restructuring could include layoffs, McLaughlin said, but doesn't necessarily guarantee them. Any long-term changes to the work force will be attached to the 2013 budget and announced as city council and the mayor finalize it over the next few weeks, McLaughlin said.
In the immediate future, the city will temporarily reduce its work force in an attempt to shave the $1.77 million in salaries it will have to pay during the final six weeks of the year. McCormick said provisions in collective bargaining agreements with the four unions that represent city employees - like seniority and minimum-manning rules - will play a significant role in determining what jobs can be furloughed. For example, employees with higher seniority, and thus higher pay, generally are better protected, McCormick said.
"There are some restrictions on who can go and who can't go," McCormick said. "It does make it more difficult, absolutely."
McCormick said the city also enacted restrictions on overtime hours during the remainder of the year.
"We're cutting as much as we can, (but) we can only go so far," McCormick said.
Maybe there should be a Layoffs live thread.
Thanks for the growing list or series of posts. Interesting how it follows the election. The question is was it hidden to elect a certain individual or a response to his election.
You cannot fund the government with out tax receipts.
Maybe there should be a Layoffs live thread.
FYI….already constructed...
The Free Republic "Elections Have Consequences" Repository ”OBAMAsizing”
“But the number of employees who accepted them by last Friday’s deadline was not enough to solve the city’s budget woes, forcing the city to resort to mandatory furloughs, city spokesman Drew McLaughlin said.”
Very few government workers of any type are taking these offers nowadays, as they know 1) they can live another thirty years, and the income won’t keep up with their expenses, 2) they have no value in the private sector (less even then a private-sector worker, who is watching his own value plummet in the race to meet Asia’s lower standard of living), and 3) their pay & perks are far better than anything most people will ever be offered.
Wilkes-barre and Scranton area are .
Casey country. Tough tookus, they voted a majority for whatever fate is before them.
PA Ping!
If you want on/off the PA Ping List, please freepmail me.
If you see posts of interest to Pennsylvanians, please ping me.
Thanks!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.