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Local News

Saturday, November 14, 2009

7 sheriff's employees face layoff
Hancock Federal Credit Union
By JORDAN CRAVENS

staff writer

Seven employees at the Hancock County Sheriff's Office will be laid off Dec. 13, including four deputies and three corrections officers who provide security at the county jail.

"Layoff notices will go out in two weeks to those seven employees being laid off," said Sheriff Michael Heldman.

Patrol contracts with Arlington and Van Buren will also be halted next month, according to Capt. Roger Treece.

The cuts come as a result of the Hancock County commissioners mandating all county departments to trim 10 percent from their budgets next year, Heldman said.

The layoffs will shave $396,000 from the sheriff's office budget in 2010, according to sheriff's fiscal officer Rebecca Smith.

If the county's half-percent sales tax had been voted down Nov. 3, Heldman said at least 16 employees would have been handed pink slips.

"The thing people have to understand is that with the sales tax passing, we weren't made whole," Treece said. "It was bittersweet. We're not whole, we are laying people off."

Once the layoffs go into effect, there will be 13 deputies to patrol the county along with four sergeants, Treece said. They will cover 532 square miles in the county, including 17 townships and 10 villages.

The sheriff's office will continue to have a plain clothes detective and deputy.

"I would say people should expect slower response times" from deputies, Heldman said.

The reduced number of corrections officers will not compromise safety at the jail, Heldman said.

"We will still have adequate staff," he said.

Because of the reduced manpower, deputies will now be responding to fewer types of calls.

To report civil complaints, car-deer accidents, storm damage, mailbox damage, and property damage, residents will have to come to the sheriff's office, Treece said.

Also, deputies will no longer respond to 911 hang-ups and misdials, he said.

Heldman initially estimated he would have to lay off 10 employees if the sales tax increase passed.

However, because county employees will be paying 15 percent of their health insurance premiums instead of the 10 percent contribution they are making now, fewer positions had to be eliminated, Smith said.

"The savings we had on the insurance changes was enough to save three employees their jobs," she said.

Some other cuts being made by the sheriff's office include reducing the number of trips made to take juvenile offenders to the Wood County Juvenile Detention Center; restructuring security at Hancock County Common Pleas Court; and phasing out employee cell phones. Employees will return to using pagers, which is estimated to save $9,600 per year, according to a list of budget cuts provided by Heldman.

The Citizens Sheriff's Academy, which was a 10-week course that educated residents about the functions of the sheriff's office, has also been suspended for next year.

"Since 2002, we are down 20 positions," Heldman said. Two employees were laid off when the county's work-release program closed in 2008, and another four positions have not been filled due to attrition coupled with a hiring freeze.

Positions eliminated included corrections, clerical, administration and enforcement positions, he said.

Sheriff's officials said they hope the office doesn't have to make additional cuts.

"Hopefully the economy will come back and we can maintain this level," Treece said.

"Going beyond this point, it would be an officer safety issue," Heldman said.

Cravens: 419-427-8422,

Send an e-mail to Jordan Cravens


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26 Comments (3 pages)

Latest comments listed first.
kYLE wrote:
re:Ed
“ Ed

Thanks for clarifying why $2.5(.25%)million per year was chosen. (based on a 35% match of the $100 million estimated project cost)

I find no reference to a $100 million dollar estimate for the project prior to Sept. 29th of this year. In fact, the Northwest Ohio Flood Mitigation Partnership continues to state Findlay's portion of the flood solution could be in excess of $50 million....I dont see any figures near $100 million anywhere on their information. That doesn't mean it wasn't discussed somewhere, I just don't find any reference to it prior to Sept. 29th.

http://www.floodpartnership.org/media/Fast_Facts.pdf

I did find the Courier article about the $100 million dollar estimate from Sept. 29th...but they fail to mention that Mr. Berkeley actually stated it "could cost an estimated $107 million "plus or minus 50 percent,"...as the Blade reported from the same meeting. The Courier simply throws out a nice round $100 million dollar estimate for their article.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090929/NEWS16/909290363

So in the end, the estimates are $50+ million, $100 million, and $107 million (+ or - 50%, which equals a range of $53.5 million to as much as $160.5 million).......all while we cut services countywide now, and lay people off based on "projections" in both the 2010 tax collection figures, and what may actually be needed for the flood plan.
 ”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 3:53:46 PM
tired of this wrote:
7 sheriff's employees face layoff
“ Has anyone bothered to check how many administrative positions the Sheriff still has on his staff? It seems silly to layoff seven people when there are so many other positions that could be eliminated with out comprimising safety. What about the alleged retired personal who are still working. Maybe they should step up and step down to save jobs for people who really need them. From the outside looking in, it would appear the Sheriff is willing to sacrifice good people to keep those closest to him in their place. I can't imagine that would make Hancock County an attractive place to look for a job if that is the policy. To those who are getting laid off, god bless and I hope you can find work elsewhere because it seems you are not welcome in Hancock County. ”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 9:59:26 AM
Ed Ingold wrote:
7 Sheriffs employees face layoff
“ Kyle:

The Courier has had numerous articles written by at least 3 reporters over the past two years. there have been 6 public hearings, WFIN has held several Forums on the subject so I am just guessing you are either new to town or do not live here. The sales tax was created to fund the 35% match that is required of any Corps of Engineers project. The project had a ball park cost of even in 2007 of 100 million dollars. 2.5 million dollars times 10 which is the length of the tax equals 25 million dollars. It's that simple.
The Sheriff is in charge of his department if the paper was correct in quoting him he believes he can provide the necessary public safety with his recommended reduction in force. As far as whether or not those folks would still be available is speculation but again it would be the Sheriff's call not mine. The Ohio revised code stipulates the amount of sales or use taxes that can be utilized by a county we followed those statutes. ”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 11:20:31 PM
kYLE wrote:
re: Ed
“ So who picked the .25% to be dedicated to flood mitigation? Why that amount? Just because it seemed reasonable, as you stated below?

Why not .20% or .15% of the .5% tax , when you knew there was a shortfall for general operations? And now that you recognize the shortfall, why not ask for that court order, if thats what you need?

I understand it is now a dedicated amount to be used only for flodding, but why was it set at half of the .5%?
Seems a hundred year flood issue was used as a tactic to help pass the tax, but was there a study that said you need exactly $2.5 million (.25%) a year for this (flood mitigation)?

Also, what if those "highly skilled" employees aren't available for rehire? How much more (thousands of dollars?) will it cost to hire and train a new people as opposed to keeping currently trained employees?

Saying you hope to bring them back tells me you recognize they are needed now, but we just cant afford them. My question is, can we afford not to have them? ”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 4:43:50 PM
mark wolf wrote:
hcso
“ a way they could make more money is put the county impound towing up for bid with a percentage of each tow going back into the county pot instead of the tow company making all the money ”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 2:19:41 PM
Ed Ingold wrote:
7 Sheriff's Employees Face Layoff
“ To Kyle, David, Tim, et al:

Everone posting here is a little bit right, but a lot of misunderstanding of the budget is apparent. While I agree that County financing is complicated it is still transparent but you have to know how state statute requires appropriations to be spent and what accounts are dedicated vs. flexible in how the monies can be appropriated.

First let me clarify why we are still projecting a shortfall even with the additional sales tax revenue for 2010. When the tax process began with public hearings early in 2008 interest rates were still at 4-5% sales tax revenues were flat and real estate was still selling. The requested 1/2% for operations and 1/4% capital seemed a reasonable request to fund flooding, county operations and for maintenance repair and replacement of county buildings. The sales tax was imposed during August of 2008 and began collecting on January 1 of 2009.

Since the beginning of 2009 the financial market's collapse along with the real estate debacal has reduced the revenue projections by almost 2 million. So even with the new 1/4% for county operations we are getting fewer dollars for 2010. This has resulted in further reductions for the budget. This was widely reported on that even with the tax increase the county would be seeing 10% cuts this is exactly the case. Most departments have accomplished this by reducing staff as with the Sheriff or by furlough days, reduced wages, higher benefit premiums to the employees. We do not forsee any quick turn around until we see a return of jobs and commerce to this county. The current sales tax is being collected and the 1/2% is split between the county and the flood project. The flood project is a dedicated account and once the money is in that account it can only be dedicated to flood control. The same goes for what has been collected for capital improvements. Once in that account short of a court order that money cannot be used for any other purpose, this is not something the commissioners designed it is part of the revised code.
While it is very unfortunate that some highly skilled people have to be laid off, it is everyone's hope that when the economy rebounds they could be rehired if they still are available.
So bottom line the flood money is for flood
Capital is dedicated to buildings
and operations are going to have to survive on the revenues we have. Recognize that if we did not have the capital account any repairs would still have to come from somewhere and hard decisions would have to be made then. We are electing to be as prudent as we can recognizing the year ahead will be a big challange. ”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 2:11:42 PM
Jeff wrote:
Take Action
“ It's all great to come on here and complain- let's actually do something about though. The people that read these posts, really don't care but if we started calling, they'd either get so annoyed, they'd block our numbers, send the police to tell us to stop (oh wait, they have other things to do now, like NOT respond to calls) or they might actually do something.

Thanks Kyle for posting the number, I think my fingers will put those digits to good use! ”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 12:55:19 PM
Art wrote:
Command Staff
“ Why does the Sheriff need so many Captains and Lieutenants? If someone could answer this that would be great. I think the Sheriff needs to start thinking about restructing his command staff and actually save some of the road deputies on the street. I know I would rather have the deputies on the road than the Sheriff's buddies in the office not doing much of anything. ”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 10:48:26 AM
adam wrote:
layoffs
“ more smoke and mirrors from our good mayor petey. Pass more tax and layoff more people thanks for the christamas you just gave to these people. hope you think about that while your drivin your big fancy cars, while they people that paid for it are out begging on the street. Every single person responsible for making theses decisions should be fired you make me physically SICK ”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 10:16:56 AM
TG wrote:
7 sheriff's employees face layoff
“ Way to go Kyle, you are so right. We need to hold the right people responsible. And if there is going to be layoff's the right people should be affected. Like people that have retired and rehired. Look at the waste.....Yes sheriff, we are talking your office, your command staff......... ”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 9:04:10 AM
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