The county rolled out the big guns today at our scheduled contract negotiation session. Chief Financial Officer Ms. J. Williams addressed the gathered AFSCME members and delivered nothing but bad news, as we expected.
Ms. Williams stated that the county will survive 2010 with a deficit due to the tax roll back, but 2011 is looking very bleak. The county is studying the projected budget for 2011 and its expenses. Some expenses are mandated, such as public safety and corrections staffing in the juvenile and criminal jails. The other expenses that the county is looking at are us, the employees. This is a direct expense that they do have control of, the total number of their employees.
The county is estimating that it will be approximately 200 million dollars short in 2011, and that is before the county board addresses the remaining .5 of 1% tax remaining which is already on the radar screen when the county board president’s race is decided. Most of the candidates for that position have stated that they will remove the tax once elected. That will result in an additional loss of at least 200 million dollars or more, meaning 2011 is already in big trouble.
The county’s plan to solve some of its budget problems is to reduce the total numbers of employees by or in 2011 by approximately 2600. AFSCME’s share of the pain is expected to be between 500 and 1,000. No numbers of what agency will bear the brunt of the cuts, but everyone will suffer. That’s the numbers for a 200 million dollar deficit. The county estimates do not include any wage increases, which we expected. The county’s current wages proposal is lacking in real substance, coupled with their health care proposal we are losing money.
While this is a preliminary view of the 2011 problems that we are going to face in these negotiations, nothing is set in stone. Yet. Stay tuned. Fasten your seat belts. It’s getting bumpy. Mark your calendars now for the 2011 County Budget Hearings in Fall 2010. We’re going to need your help! You can’t sit idly on the sidelines. Your job may depend on your participation!!