COURT HOUSE — Amid a national economic crisis that some say is the worst since the Great Depression, Cape May County officials have been forced to make some difficult decisions.
Belt tightening is underway throughout the county, particularly in non-essential areas.
County Administrator Stephen O’Connor told the Herald that county revenues are down significantly over the past several years. In 2005, for instance, the County Clerk’s office made nearly $10 million through the processing of documents and the county’s portion of real estate transfer tax, while this year its total is only $4.5 million, he said.
In addition to this significant loss of revenue, the county has seen increased costs and a reduction in support from the state, which is also in financial trouble.
Due to the budgetary problems, O’Connor said county government is in a process of complete restructuring.
“We’ve taken a strong position on reducing operating expenses,” he told the Herald.
He said all department heads have been asked to reduce their budgets by a minimum of 10 percent, preferably 15 percent.
“We’ve also implemented a complete hiring freeze,” he added.
That means no new positions in addition to not replacing those who leave existing positions, he said.
This policy would affect departments throughout the county with the exception of the jail and the nursing home, which have mandated minimum staffing levels the county must keep.
One department that is feeling the burden of the policy right now is the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, which administers county Agriculture, 4-H and Family & Community Health Sciences programs.
At a Dec. 3 county Board of Agriculture meeting, Betty Jean Webersinn, 4-H Coordinator and extension department head, explained to board members that 4-H programs might be in jeopardy because of the hiring freeze.
Due to a recent retirement, the 4-H administrative assistant position was left unfilled.
Webersinn explained that nearly 200 youth participate directly in traditional 4-H programs in addition to 3,000 additional in partnership programs including those at Ocean Academy, Woodbine Elementary, Nature Center of Cape May, and the Cape Assist Peer Leadership Program.
“Without a dedicated person to handle the administrative aspects of these programs, we may have to cut programming,” Webersinn said. “We know what a serious crisis we’re in and we’re making every effort to continue to provide programs and activities county residents enjoy so much.”
Since that meeting, however, Webersinn told the Herald she’d been in talks with O’Connor and Freeholder Ralph Sheets who have been extremely helpful in strategizing and coming up with creative solutions to their staffing problems.
Webersinn said a front desk receptionist was moved into the administrative position and the department is considering the use of senior volunteers to staff the reception desk.
Similarly, O’Connor told the Herald that the county would pull staff from other departments if programs were in jeopardy.
Besides the hiring freeze and cuts from department heads, the county is also eliminating its municipal grant programs in an effort to reduce costs.
O’Connor defended recent raises for county union workers and sheriff employees of between 4 and 5 percent. He said they were fair for both the county and employees and included significant givebacks from the unions including the loss of two holidays.
Is there trouble elsewhere?
Besides 4-H, the extension is also facing cuts on the university side.
As its name suggests, the extension is a cooperative program between the U.S. Department of Agricultural, the state university of Rutgers and the county department.
Because Rutgers is also having budgetary problems, programs run by Agricultural Agent Jenny Carleo, whose salary is 75 percent university paid and 25 percent county paid, may also be in jeopardy.
An agricultural program assistant position responsible for the master gardener program, horticultural helpline and environmental stewards program will not be filled. Without that staff member, Carleo will be stretched to the limits with those responsibilities as well as her own that include assisting farmers, conducting research, speaking at seminars and providing educational programming.
According to Webersinn, the university’s cuts thus far have not included faculty positions, but those posts have not been excluded in the next round of cuts. As the only agent without tenure, Carleo is the most vulnerable in the county office.
The county Board of Agriculture is writing a letter to university and county officials in support of Carleo and the other county agents noting their important work and asking that their positions be spared.
Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com
Cape May Beach – What was the point of the trial in NYC now that it’s over and there is no penalty? Just a headline no one except democrats will care about and a conviction that will be overturned. Like democrats Van…
