HomeMy WebLinkAbout041320_ra04Regular Agenda
Commissioners Office
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
Philip Morley, County Administrator
FROM: Erin Lundgren, Clerk of the Board/Human Resource Manager
DATE: April 13, 2020
SUBJECT: DISCUSSION and POTENTIAL ACTION re: RESOLUTION NO. re: In
the Matter of a Freeze on New Employment Positions and Required Review before
County Departments Fill Any Vacant Employment Positions
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
Jefferson County is mandated by RCW 36.40 to have a balanced budget. The County's response during the
COVID-19 pandemic has placed extra demands on County services to the public and will continue to place
extra demands on County services during the recovery phase after the COVID-19 pandemic.
ANALYSTS:
Salaries and benefits are the largest portion of the County's budget of expenditures and there is an urgent
need to begin limiting expenditures. It is in the best interest of the County to immediately impose a "Hiring
Freeze."
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve Resolution re: In the Matter of a Freeze on New Employment Positions and Required Review
before County Departments Fill Any Vacant Employment Positions
Ph' ip Morley, 0 y
�dmimsr Date
STATE OF WASHINGTON
County of Jefferson
In the Matter of a Freeze on }
New Employment Positions and }
Required Review before County } RESOLUTION NO.
Departments Fill Any Vacant }
Employment Positions }
WHEREAS, RCW 36.40 mandates that the County have a balanced budget; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an immediate and profound impact on the
national, state, and local economies, and it is anticipated that the County's revenues will
therefore not meet budgeted expenditures and extraordinary demands from the pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the County's response during the COVID-19 pandemic has placed extra
demands on County services to the public; and the recovery phase after the COVID-19 pandemic
has slowed will continue to place extra demands on County services, but revenues to fund all
County services will continue to be at reduced levels; and
WHEREAS, the County Commissioners and all Elected Officials and appointed
Department Heads of the Jefferson County government are working to plan for the County's
financial future and to make budget adjustments necessary to deal with the revenue shortfalls;
and,
WHEREAS, salaries and benefits are the largest portion of the County's budget of
expenditures and there is an urgent need to begin limiting expenditures; and,
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners finds that it is in the best interest of the
County to immediately impose a "Hiring Freeze" on County employment positions as defined
below;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the County Commissioners for Jefferson
County that no new employment position will be created or existing positions filled except as
provided for below:
1) New Positions and Vacant Positions: Effective immediately a freeze is imposed on
the creation and filling of any new employment position or the filling of any vacant
position in all Jefferson County Departments. The Board of County Commissioners
may allow certain positions that are approved as Mission Critical or as fully
supported by grant or other non -County funding, pursuant to the review procedure in
paragraph 2).
2) In providing its oversight of the County Budget, the Board of County Commissioners,
through the County Administrator, will review each request for an exception to the
freeze on the creation and filling of any new employment position or the filling of any
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vacant position, to determine if the position is Mission Critical or fully supported by
grant or other non -County funding.
Mission Critical positions are those which must be filled due to
contractual obligations, exposure to liability, specific technical
expertise necessary for the operation of internal systems or due to
statutory provisions or County ordinance.
3) This Resolution shall remain in effect through the balance of the 2020-2021 County
Budget Biennium, unless otherwise terminated or extended by separate Resolution of
the Board of Commissioners.
4) Resolution No. 71-08 is repealed.
APPROVED AND SIGNED this 13'' day of April, 2020.
SEAL:
ATTEST:
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Greg Brotherton, Chair
Kate Dean, Member
Carolyn Gallaway
Deputy Clerk of the Board David Sullivan, Member
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