Layoffs Being Made to Lower County Budget
Country Controller Myra Miller publicly asked commissioners to add money back into her 2017 budget after the final budget would potentially eliminate two full-time employees, solicitor expense and training costs.
by Jonathan Weaver
Despite County Commissioners fulfilling their pledge to not raise taxes to balance the 2017 budget, about 20 employees are proposed to be laid off following the holiday season.
Commissioners reduced the General Fund budget by more than $180,000 –lowering it to $21.15 million - and held millage rates at 19 mills.
Controller Myra Miller openly spoke during yesterday’s public meeting about how budget cuts have affected her department. Those cuts are thought to potentially eliminate two full-time employees, some of Miller’s training costs and money appropriated for a solicitor.
“I cannot do the job that I was elected to do if I do not have the necessary resources in my office,” Miller said. “Potentially bills will not get paid timely. Potentially I could miss fraud and other mistakes because I will have been made to lower my standards.”
Of the nearly-60 departments represented in the General Fund budget, more than more than 30 of them are projecting lower expenses in 2017. Nearly a dozen other departments also will not realize a significant statistical change.
The budget adoption was unanimously approved.
Local News | jweaver December 16, 2016
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By jorn jensen, December 16, 2016 @ 8:28 AM
If Myra can’t do the job with less, then quit and we’ll hire someone that can.
What in the world does Armstrong County government need 600 employees for? Really.
Sure would be nice to have a private sector company making widgets in Armstrong County and creating 600 jobs and paying some taxes.
By wonderwhy, December 16, 2016 @ 10:26 AM
They need to downsize the Probation office. The probation officers think they are FBI or swat. Yes we have a sever drug porblem, but what the County has been doing hasn’t worked. They keep putting these people in jail when they fail. Do we put a person with diabetes in jail when they cheat on their diet and shool extra insulin? The rest of the country is having some success with placing the person suffering with alcoholism or addiction in a rehab, not jail. We wouldn’t even need this jail if it wasn’t for a person relapsing. Allegheny County and others don’t waste their resources on putting them in jail for a dirty urine. The Probation office needs and overhaul and elimination of their rogue employees.
By savvynewshound, December 16, 2016 @ 10:43 AM
I think a fair question is, how does her department staffing compare to other counties in the area? Does she have more staff or less? How do these counties compare in population which should directly correlate to workload? If the answer is that Ms. Miller has more staffing than larger counties, we need to question the ability of the staff.
Maybe it’s time to go to 3 elected auditor positions as opposed to a controller.
By Rainbow Rider, December 16, 2016 @ 11:43 AM
Yes jorn, maybe one of your business contacts ?! #40years
By ktown_kid, December 16, 2016 @ 10:58 PM
Wonder why you just amaze me by your post. Do you know why there is a probation office? For one it’s to babysit people like you obviously. For the little they make they have to watch over you to make sure your behaving and doing what is court ordered. As far as putting you in jail over dirty urine, maybe you should thank them for saving “Your” life. Did I say “Your” life. Yeah i did. As far as what the county has done hasn’t work maybe you should try and straighten your life out yourself. Maybe you should eliminate yourself from the situation. Maybe you shouldn’t hang out with drug dealers. Maybe you should buy dope. There are alot of maybes but to point a finger to an office that is there to protect and help you seems alittle farfetched don’t you think. They could just come into work and just let you do your thing and end up possibly overdosing. Then we would hear it’s all the probation office’s fault. They didn’t do their job.
By ktown_kid, December 16, 2016 @ 11:09 PM
Well jorn I do agree with you alittle but look at it this way. So they get rid of x amount of employees in the controller’s office. Then they throw double to triple the workload on the remaining workers that make $12/hr, some may not even make that. Would you, yourself do double to triple the work for that low pay? You were in metallurgy correct? A fairly wealthy position. Maybe they could trim the fat in some offices and others could probably use a few more. Let’s look at the law enforcement side and how many criminals we have in this county. They put their lives on the line everyday for what little they make. They are the lowest in the state to carry a gun. That says alot to the sheriff’s dept and probation office. The DA should take a pay cut. I feel it should work off of a performance base. The more you prosecute and not take plea bargains, the more you make. The commissioners could take a pay cut also. The list could go on and on.
By worthingtonman, December 17, 2016 @ 11:36 AM
@wonderwhy
Wow! Just wow! The alcoholics and Junkies are being put in jail for breaking the law. People with diabetes giving themselves extra insulin? You are a special kind of stupid and most probably a junkie yourself. These folks working in this department are professional and needed. Folks like you would have us overrun with crime so that the junkies can continue to shoot up and fuel their financial needs with crime.