Selectively Ignoring the Budget Problems

Money remains tight here in JoCo, and the county is again facing the loss of county payments and O&C funding. Yet...

Josephine County commissioners approved a $300,000 library grant proposal Tuesday morning, opening the door for a nonprofit organization to reopen the facilities that have been closed since May.

To qualify for the grant, a non-profit would have to raise $300K and provide a feasibility plan for operating the libraries 3-5 years.

Remember, it was only last November that JoCo voters rejected a levy to keep the libraries open.  And earlier this year when voters rejected the public safety levy, it was clear to most that such a result would force the commissioners to finally close the libraries.  But just a few months later, two of our three county commissioners are pretending that the majority of voters are suddenly willing to spend $225K on our libraries (the other $75K would come from the library trust fund).  The noisy minority gets its way.

Here's something else our county leadership found some extra money for.

On Wednesday, county commissioners are expected to approve new collective bargaining agreements with the Service Employees International Union, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees and the Sheriff's Office Services Association.

SEIU and AFSCME agreements will last two years and the SOSA agreement will be for one year.

All three contracts include 2 to 4 percent cost-of-living increases based on U.S. Consumer Price Index measurements.

It also includes a 5 percent increase in the amount the county will pay toward health insurance.

The cost of medical insurance is factored into the CPI calculations.  In other words for some reason, our financially-troubled county will be giving these union employees raises in excess of inflation.  And, the unions even have Toler doing their PR work for them. 

Commissioner Dave Toler said, for the other three unions, questionable continued federal funding through the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act reduced expectations when it came to contract negotiations.

...

"Given our unsettled financial picture this just makes sense," Toler said. "To the good or to the bad, if you don't know what the future is going to bring you look to the short term. The fact that things are so unpredictable makes it more difficult for both parties."

...

Toler said most of the language in the new contract remains the same as in the old contract, except for the cost of living adjustments and medical cap. The unions didn't ask for any "give backs" in terms of vacation, personal leave, benefits, medical leave and salaries, and the county didn't offer any.

"This time around both sides really listened," Toler said. "It wasn't confrontational. They expressed some concern about how this will influence recruitment and retention. We told them that we're concerned about that too and we'll look at that in the future."

The county's recruitment and retention issues have nothing to do with compensation.  The overriding concern is job security...the specter that further cuts are on the way if the feds don't bail us out again.  So, we save less for a rainy day, which means more cuts when it rains.  Brilliant.