ON YESTERDAY, COUNTY EXECUTIVE JACK B. JOHNSON AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL STOOD BEFORE A ROOM OF PG COUNTY WORKERS AND ANNOUNCED THAT THEY MUST TAKE 10 DAYS OF UNPAID LEAVE OVER THE NEXT NINE MONTHS IN ORDER TO MAKE UP FOR THE $57 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT.
THE PLAN, APPROVED BY COUNTY COUNCIL, CALLS FOR ABOUT 5,900 WORKERS, WHICH WILL INCLUDE POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, MAINTENANCE WORKERS, CLERKS, ETC., TO TAKE 80 HOURS OF UNPAID LEAVE.
THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL VOTED 9-0 ON THE PROPOSAL, WITH NO DEBATE, WHICH GOES AGAINST THEIR NORMAL RULES TO PASS A RESOLUTION. AS A RESULT, MORE THAN 200 COUNTY EMPLOYEES FILLED THE COUNCIL CHAMBER TO PROTEST THE NEW RULE TUESDAY.
"ALTHOUGH WE HAVE TAKEN AGGRESSIVE STEPS TO ADDRESS OUR BUDGET DEFICIT, IN ORDER TO CLOSE THIS GAP WE MUST INITIATE AN ACROSS-THE-BOARD FURLOUGH PLAN," SAID JOHNSON.
ACCORDING TO REPORTS, OFFICIALS HAVE ENCOURAGED WORKERS TO TAKE TIME OFF DURING "NON-PEAK" DAYS, SUCH AS HOLIDAYS. HOWEVER, THE END RESULT WILL CAUSE EMPLOYEES TO LOSE ABOUT ONE PAYCHECK'S WORTH OF SALARY THIS YEAR.
"THEY HAVE LIED TO US. THEY HAVE LIED TO US ABOUT THIS BUDGET," SAID GLENARD S. MIDDLETON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES UNION.
"ITS MISMANAGEMENT, AND SOMEBODY NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE JACK JOHNSON AND THIS BUDGET," MIDDLETON SAID.
Source: PG County Gazzette
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