Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to lay off 7 county employees and also reduce the hours of the county airport manager. County Chief Administrative Officer Terri Daly recommended the layoffs in light of an expected $3.6 Million budget deficit this year. She also recommended a cut of the airport manager position from 40 hours a week to 24 hours a week, which supervisors also approved in the vote. Daly said the county has been working 2 years on easing out of a diminishing budget, and the 7 layoffs and a cutting of another 7 part-time workers amounted to a 17.5 percent decrease in Full Time Equivalent positions. That percentage included jobs vacated in a hiring freeze, early retirement and voluntary layoffs. The layoffs did not affect any sheriff, district attorney or probation department positions because those offices had already been affected the most by other job reductions. Daly said those 3 departments make up 27 percent of the county workforce but accounted for 33 percent of job reductions. She said the next step could be mandatory furloughs, more layoffs or reductions in salaries. Daly said “Although we are keeping our fingers crossed, we’re not done yet and I will be back.” Board Chairman Ted Novelli asked Daly to get with him to write a letter to the county’s 7 union bargaining units to ask them for help in lasting out the recession. Supervisor Richard Forster said the furloughs would have to be approved by bargaining units. He said he did not expect a great state budget and he expected deferrals of tax payments, including gasoline tax, to stretch to the longer part of its expected 3 to 9 month time period. Forster said they should ask the bargaining units to look at furloughs to preserve as many county employees as they can. Supervisor Brian Oneto said the private sector has had layoffs and businesses closing for a long time. With the economy struggling and tax revenue dropping, Oneto said “I think we need furloughs across the board.” Supervisor Louis Boitano said it was an “unprecedented time and unfortunately we have to take drastic measures,” and moved to take staff’s recommendation. Forster said there are some counties talking about withholding tax payments to the state, but he said deferral of reimbursements is legal. Novelli said they should start a list to bring people back, if and when they can. Forster said: “Part of this is getting us storm-ready and we’re just starting the storm now.” Boitano said “there will be some small counties that cease to exist.” Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).