Mendocino County readies pay cuts, layoffs

<p>Mendocino County employees are bracing for pay cuts and layoffs as officials grapple with a budget deficit that has grown to an estimated $4 million.</p><p>Employee bargaining representatives said the county has proposed that most county employees take off one unpaid day every two weeks for the next five months and that 20 people be laid off from the Health and Human Services Department, which employs roughly half the county's 1,400-person work force.</p><p>"It's outrageous this $4 million is going to be balanced through employee wages," Service Employees International Union representative Lynda McClure told a group of employees who met at noon Friday to learn about the latest budget-cutting proposals.</p><p>Dozens more could lose their jobs after that five months, said SEIU President James Marmon.</p><p>County officials said nothing has been decided, but that some furloughs and layoffs likely will be necessary.</p><p>"There were verbal discussions. Nothing has been put in writing," said Assistant Chief Executive Officer Alison Glassey.</p><p>With legislators deadlocked on how to tackle the state's estimated $42 billion budget deficit, no one knows exactly how much the county needs to cut from its $232 million budget, she noted.</p><p>"We're looking at a target," Glassey said. But cuts will come, and they will be more painful if the county waits for the state to make a decision, Glassey said.</p><p>Before it can start cutting employee ranks, the county has some work to do, including compiling an employee seniority list, she said. She doubts any action will be taken to implement cuts until at least the end of February.</p><p>Employees are hoping they can ward off or minimize job losses by volunteering to take unpaid time off.</p><p>They already have saved the county more than $68,000 through voluntary unpaid time off over the holidays, Marmon said.</p><p>Health and Human Services operations are likely to receive close scrutiny, Marmon said.</p><p>The Family and Children's Services division has about one supervisor for every three social workers. One supervisor to seven social workers is the norm, Marmon said.</p><p>The union wants to first eliminate some of those supervisory positions, he said.</p><p>Glassey said the job classifications may be misleading, but that they eventually will be examined.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer</p><p>Glenda Anderson at 462-6473 or glenda.anderson@pressdemocrat.com.</p>