Sheriff’s deputies pave way for across-the-board cuts

Sheriff’s deputies in Mahoning County have earned the public’s goodwill for agreeing to wage concessions that amount to about a 20 percent cut in pay.

At a time of great economic turmoil nationally and globally, the need to reduce operating costs in the public sector has never been greater. In the private sector, layoffs, wage concessions and even contract givebacks have been the norm for the past couple of years.

The evidence can be seen locally at one of the most important employers in the Mahoning Valley, General Motors Corp.’s Lordstown assembly plant.

On the state level, the loss of 200,000 high-paying manufacturing jobs over the past four years is a stark reminder of the fragility of the economy.

However, the public sector has been late in making the tough decisions necessary to meet declining revenues. But now, reality has dawned.

A couple of weeks ago, we praised county Juvenile Court Judge Theresa Dellick for imposing a 5 percent across-the-board pay cut, in addition to laying off 11 employees. We also made note of the fact that 11 sheriff’s deputies were laid off by Sheriff Randall Wellington.

The decision by the deputies who remain on the payroll to cut one work day and one day’s pay per two-week pay period, and accept other income reducing provisions, such as loss of hazardous duty pay, stands in sharp contrast to the captains, lieutenants and sergeants who refused to accept concessions.

Taxpayers should be outraged at the temerity of public employees who are among the highest paid in the department but feel no sense of responsibility to help county government deal with its fiscal crisis.

Make an air-tight case

The sheriff must know that only an air-tight case for concessions will persuade a fact-finder, who is required by law to settle this contract dispute. Given how poorly governments in this region have fared with fact-finding, the outcome won’t be good unless county government can clearly show that it’s falling way behind its revenue projections.

The sheriff’s department and the juvenile court are the two largest spending items in the general fund, which is why budget cuts are being sought from them.

But it is the entire criminal justice system, which includes the common pleas courts and also domestic relations and probate, the county courts, clerk of courts office and prosecutor’s office, that is a major drain on the general fund.

In light of the actions taken by the sheriff’s department and juvenile justice, fiscal responsibility must be shown by the others.

Likewise, the commissioner’s office must tighten its belt.

The decision last November by the commissioners to give county Administrator George J. Tablack $16,027, which reflected a retroactive 3 percent annual cost-of-living pay increases going back to Jan. 1, 2006, has left a bitter taste in the mouths of taxpayers.

Tablack had been earning $95,000 prior to the retroactive pay.

If the commissioners are going to ask county employees to sacrifice, which they must do, then they have a responsibility to lead the way.

They should persuade Tablack to give up the cost-of-living increase. His salary of $95,000 is fair compensation for what he does.

State government, under the leadership of Gov. Ted Strickland, will be put on a strict budget diet if the two-year biennium spending plan is approved by the Ohio General Assembly.

Strickland has imposed a 6 percent pay cut for the executive branch, and he’s seeking major concessions from the employee unions.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the largest union in state government, the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, has agreed for its 35,000 members to be furloughed for 10 “unpaid cost savings days.” Those employees who cannot be furloughed because of the nature of their jobs would lose 10 paid holidays.

Shared pain must be the operating principle in this economy.