Board of Supervisors Set to Consider Voluntary Separation Incentive Plan
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors will consider a Voluntary Separation Incentive Plan as one of many strategies the County is pursuing to close its budget gap. If all 28 positions contemplated for the program voluntarily choose to enroll in the Plan, the County’s General Fund will save $569,845 in Fiscal Year 2014-2015, and an additional $767,175 in Fiscal Year 2015-2016.
Under the Voluntary Separation Incentive Plan, certain job classifications recommended by County department heads will be eligible, on a department-by-department basis, to receive up to $15,000 in a one-time cash pay-out to leave county employment by a date certain. The County will achieve budget savings either deleting the resulting vacant position, or replacing with a lower level classification.
“The saving the County will see from the VSIP will be substantial and help out our budget,” said Sue Dishion, Deputy Personnel Director. “Just as important, it will create opportunities to re-assign and share staff among departments, generating even more savings. This could help to minimize the need for involuntary layoffs, and help us preserve jobs and services to the community.”
The purpose of the Voluntary Separation Incentive Plan is to allow and encourage County departments, working with County Administration, to plan how best to align the County workforce into a leaner organization while simultaneously minimizing the broader, negative impacts of employee layoffs. The Separation Plan presents an opportunity for departments to offer lump-sum, post-separation payments to selected classifications as an incentive for eligible employees to voluntarily terminate employment from the County.
Eligible employees who voluntarily leave County employment afford departments the opportunity to minimize or avoid involuntary separations, and enable job sharing between departments. By providing a separation incentive, the County departments may be better poised to strategically plan their future resources, realize financial savings, and avoid involuntary layoffs.
Consequently, the department heads have been working with County Administration to identify classifications throughout the County that are eligible for participation in the Separation Plan.
Based on recently submitted department budget requests, the County’s structural deficit in its General Fund exceeds $6.3 Million. Until the departments submitted their budgets last month, the deficit was expected to reach $5.1 Million. Next year, in Fiscal Year 2015-2016, the deficit is expected to grow by another million dollars. The Board of Supervisors has set a goal of reducing the structural deficit to $3 Million by the time it approves a balanced budget in September.
The Board of supervisors is expected to consider the Voluntary Separation Incentive Plan during the morning part its meeting agenda on Tuesday, July 15th in Independence.
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Does anyone seriously believe the county can get out of financial trouble and have things actually improve.
I’m sorry folks but I don’t see it
I believe the BOS and Administration are working hard to provide services, equity, and be mindful of peoples’ need for employment.
There is a budget gap to be filled due to state and nationwide lack of funds. Focusing on blame is abdicating responsibly for what YOU can do to help Inyo get better.
I believe the BOS and Administration are working hard to provide services, equity, and be mindful of peoples’ need for employment.
There is a budget gap to be filled due to state and nationwide lack of funds. Focusing on blame is abdicating responsibly for what YOU can to do to help Inyo get better.
They already did this in Mono County. Put in your separation date and NO SIGN OF THE PAYOFF, just excuses. So if Inyo does go this route, GET THE MONEY before you sign anything
The only people that should be leaving are the ones that got us into this mess. The department heads, admin, and Kevin. They have lied and cheated the community for years. Continuously reducing staff and the service provided to the taxpayers only to put extra money towards their salaries and extra hidden “perks”. The past Board of Supervisors including one remaining (soon to be gone) are also to blame. I hope our current BOS can make the right decisions soon. We dont need more taxes and we dont need to punish the hard working (yet still struggling). We need to get rid of top people making the decisions for the county who are overly paid and only consider themselves and close friends. Lets add those numbers up and see how much savings we get!
So, some of these employees got a raise because they were working above and beyond their job description, and now the plan is for them to quit so they can be replaced with a lower level classification? Brilliant.-
The clue is buried in the last paragraph–Independence is in Inyo County. So it’s the Inyo County Board of Supervisors. Agree that the article is confusing.
Since the article mentions city of Independence, this concerns Inyo County.
…woul like to know more about the structural deficit history. Is this the result of lower tax revenues?
Thanks!
No…it.s the result of higher pensions and benefits..
Govt gone Wild…
Is this Inyo or Mono County?
Sorry for my ignorance. I’m interested in The Eastern Sierra, but do not live there. And the article is unclear. Cheers.
This is happening in Inyo County. I wish it wasn’t happening here and I wouldn’t wish this on Mono or any other County. When there are not enough dollars available to support basic needs and services there are no easy answers . I still think there needs to be a dedicated Development Office ,Division or Department actively promoting/seeking grant revenue for Inyo County to support basic needs and services.
I’m pretty sure it’s Inyo County.
Inyo.
Howdy Walter,
Here’s the clue to which county “The Board of supervisors is expected to consider the Voluntary Separation Incentive Plan during the morning part its meeting agenda on Tuesday, July 15th in Independence.”
Thanks for being interested in the Eastern Sierra
Govt gone Wild…
Mega Public Pensions for everyone..
One PARTICULAR county employee up in Bridgeport come to mind…