County work furlough turns heads

By COLBY FRAZIER

Santa Barbara County’s 64-hour work furlough that will shut many county offices between Dec. 22 and Jan. 4 is receiving attention from other California jurisdictions facing similar budget crises.

“We’re getting a lot of calls from other jurisdictions,” said county CEO Mike Brown. “The governor’s office, the cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Orange County and several others all want to know what we’re doing and how we did it.”

The furlough will impact about 80 percent of the county’s 4,200 employees, who agreed to take the lengthy pay cut that will save the county $10 million in salary expenditures.

The Board of Supervisors approved the work furlough program in October, and county leaders have been hashing out the details with union leaders and department directors ever since.

County Human Resources Director Sue Paul said the two-week period surrounding the holidays was chosen because it is typically a slow time for county government.

The only county departments that will remain open through the duration of the furlough include fire, clerk-recorder assessor, district attorney, parks, probation, public defender and sheriff.

Brown said an emphasis was placed on ensuring the public’s safety isn’t jeopardized during the furlough.

“Law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services will not be impacted,” he said. “The county’s animal shelters will also be on modified schedules and the Public Works Department’s recycling and refuse stations will remain open to serve the public.”

While county residents won’t have to worry about police and fire service, the furlough program will close the doors of a number of Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services facilities and children’s clinics.

Second District Supervisor Janet Wolf has criticized the furlough program, saying she felt it important for health clinics to remain open.

All told, the county has 16 health clinics that will be closed during the furlough.

A number of other departments will be partially open, with closures on Dec. 24-25, and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

A complete list of closures is available at www.countyofsb.org.

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County Shutdown : 11/13/2008

This actually not a bad idea, most local employees do the same thing.

CManSB

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