MAHONING COUNTY CSEA layoffs loom after vote

Laid-off workers could end up with jobs in the human services department.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County commissioners were expected to finish a job today that they started in April.
During its meeting today, commissioners were to vote on laying off 17 employees from the Child Support Enforcement Agency. It's part of a countywide cost-cutting plan commissioners unveiled two months ago.
Because of budget cuts brought on by stagnant revenue from sales taxes and other sources, commissioners had said they would lay off 33 employees from departments under their control.
Commissioners originally intended to lay off 20 workers from CSEA, but one employee retired and two others left the agency in the meantime, requiring only 17 layoffs, said Dee Crawford, executive director of the county Department of Job and Family Services.
Thirteen employees were furloughed in early April. The rest were to be from the CSEA, and were expected to be laid off in late April. However, delays in processing the cuts kept them from taking place until now.
"All we're doing today is passing a resolution ratifying that original action," said county Administrator Gary Kubic.
Labor agreement
Under terms of their labor agreement, CSEA employees who were notified that they were being laid off had the right to bump other employees with less seniority, Kubic said. Those employees, in turn, had the right to bump until all those trickle-down options were exhausted.
That process has been completed and some of the layoffs became effective last week, with the rest taking effect this week, Kubic said.
The staff reduction will affect the agency's ability to provide services such as paternity testing and emancipation procedures, but Crawford said employees will adjust and do the best they can.
Crawford said those who are laid off from CSEA will have a chance to be shifted into jobs in the human services department as they become available.
"We will do everything we can to make that happen," Crawford said.
The CSEA and human services departments each fall under the umbrella of job and family services.
Crawford said seven of the 17 layoffs will be supervisors who are represented by Teamsters. The rest are hourly workers.
Maybe more cuts
Kubic said he's not sure whether commissioners will have to make further budget cuts before the end of the year.
"The outlook is tenuous at best," he said, noting that the future will depend on the economy. Much of the county's general fund revenue comes from sales taxes, so the economy drives the county's budget, he said.
"We just have to keep tightening things up because next year doesn't look any better," he said.
bjackson@vindy.com