Economy forces a few more layoffs

LEWISTOWN - Once again the state of the economy has forced the Mifflin County Commissioners to make some tough decisions.

Although there have been some positive economic signs indicating the United States GDP has begun to grow again for the first time in more than a year, that alone has not appeared to have reversed the high unemployment trend that has plagued the entire country, including Central Pennsylvania.

Unemployment in Mifflin County has nearly doubled in a year and is now hovering in the neighborhood of 11 percent, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

Commissioner Mark Sunderland said Mifflin County government has fared better than other counties in Pennsylvania; however, it has not been a smooth ride and finances are about to get tighter for county government.

Sunderland said five additional county employees were recently laid off because of uncertainties about available funding.

The problem, Sunderland said, is the timeline of the county budget, which is not the same as the state budget, and the fact that the state budget was only just recently enacted has further complicated things for the commissioners.

"We don't know what money we spent, which we may not get back," Sunderland said of state funding. "We still have not got all the money yet."

Sunderland said two full-time positions from Children and Youth Services, one full-time position from Communities that Care, one full-time position from the county maintenance department and one part-time position from the treasurer's office were eliminated.

In addition, the second deputy prothonotary has resigned and the position will remain vacant for the foreseeable future.

Sunderland said the county was not reimbursed by the state last year for the second deputy prothonotary position and it does not appear the county will be reimbursed this year either.

These recent layoffs are in addition to the half dozen county employees that were let go in 2008. During that round of layoffs, there were five people from the Mifflin County Correctional Facility and one person from the Register and Recorder's office let go.

Other cost cutting measures the commissioners have instituted include shutting down the courthouse annex and maintaining a hiring freeze on county employees, with the limited exceptions.

Another recent development is that all county employees hours have been cut by 6.5 hours a pay period, which equates to 3.25 hours a week per employee.

Sunderland said that he and commissioners Bob Reck and Otis Riden have been hashing out next year's budget, which will be even tighter. The budget will be on display at the courthouse by the end of November.

"Right now we are coming up $1.6 million short ... it won't be short when we are done with it," Sunderland said of how he and the other commissioners are intent on cutting out any wasteful spending they can find.

"We are very adamant about this," he added.

Sunderland said the commissioners have already gone through the 2010 budget once and will continue to revisit it during the coming weeks.

"Now it is going to get difficult," Sunderland said of the cuts the commissioners will have to make.

The one thing Sunderland said he is trying to avoid at all costs is raising taxes.

Sunderland said a tax increase would be a "tough sell" and would not be the right thing to do when so many people are hurting right now financially.