Barrow BOC to vote Tuesday on layoffs, salary cuts

Employees of Barrow County’s government will learn next week how severely the county’s fiscal crisis will affect them. Sources requesting anonymity told the Barrow Journal this week that the Barrow County Board of Commissioners is likely to vote Tuesday night on decisive steps to salvage the county’s finances.

The plan reportedly includes a significant “reduction in force” affecting most departments, as well as salary cuts for many of those who hang onto their jobs.

Salaries are expected to undergo a major correction to remedy the snowball effect of the aggressive implementation of a 2005 pay study that has resulted in salaries and benefits now absorbing nearly all of the county’s annual revenues.

At current staffing levels, salaries would require all but $2 million of the $28 million in anticipated revenue in FY2010.

The cuts to be announced Tuesday should also make a serious dent in the FY2010 budget shortfall, which currently is projected to amount to $7 million or more.

Tuesday’s BOC meeting will be preceded by another meeting of the board’s new budget committee. With next week’s action imminent, all but one of the county commissioners attended last week’s committee meeting.

For additional details on this story, see the June 3 issue of the Barrow Journal.