Council OKs two-week furloughs for county workers

Union officials say the County Council acted too quickly.

 “They presented it and voted on it in one day,” said Vince Canales, president of the county’s police union, despite union calls for a one-week delay.

“They did not want to sit and have the public discussion.”

The unpaid leave will save the county $20 million. The remaining $37 million will come from measures like stripping $14 million from the school system and $4 million from police and fire department overtime.

Canales said the 80-hour cuts required by each employee amount to 100 fewer working officers in an already understaffed police department.

Currently, the department has about 1,519 officers and 66 in the police academy, Canales said, though they’re budgeted for 1,786.

“This is the last kick in the gut that my membership can take,” Canales said.

Both police and county officials said plans are in the works to ensure enough officers are available in targeted places at prime times, but declined to offer details.

A memo sent earlier this month to fire and emergency service workers detailed an increased use of volunteer staff to fill holes left by budget constraints – an option not available to police.

County Council Chairman Samuel Dean defended the plan.

“Throughout this process we have stated we would do everything in our power to prevent resorting to reduction in force or services,” Dean said, explaining that two-week furloughs prevented layoffs.

But county workers questioned the council’s sincerity, pointing to $40 million in the county’s “rainy day” reserve fund.

“They’re not looking everywhere they could look for the money,” said Glen Middleton, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 67, representing more than 2,000 affected employees in the county.

“I don’t think they wanted to negotiate,” Middleton said.