As many as 125 Prince George’s County employees will be getting pink slips by November, County Executive Jack Johnson announced Monday.
Johnson said the recent $22.7 million budget gap caused by reductions in state aid made by Gov. Martin O’Malley left him no choice but to trim the county’s work force.
“I have tried very hard during the 18 months of this economic downturn to prevent job losses,” Johnson said. “As a result of the state cuts four weeks ago, I have nowhere else to look.”
Johnson added that county is in a “very precarious financial position” and more layoffs could be coming.
Johnson said up to 40 Department of Health employees will lose their jobs in the current round of cuts, as well as 85 county employees in other departments.
Details of who would be cut weren’t immediately available, but Johnson’s spokesman, James Keary, said no sworn public safety personnel would be included in the current round of layoffs.
Those losing their jobs will be notified on Oct. 2 and will be placed on administrative leave so they can start looking for a job before they are let go on Nov. 1.
In addition to the cuts, Johnson said the county will eliminate 25 vacant positions, and cut funding for county hospitals, computer upgrades and public construction projects.
Johnson’s cuts didn’t include any furloughs — a preferred method of many Maryland politicians to save money and avoid layoffs.
A federal judge ruled last month that two-week furloughs imposed on 5,900 county employees during the last fiscal year were unconstitutional.
Montgomery County officials have yet to detail how they will handle the $22.5 million in cuts from state aid, but County Executive Ike Leggett has floated the idea that furloughs and layoffs may be necessary.
