IS THIS A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME FOR WINNEBAGO COUNTY--I HOPE NOT

FROM the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter

County employees face three-hour layoffs

By Dan Fischer

The decision to impose temporary layoffs that will affect employees represented by two AFSCME locals has generated front-page headlines. The Human Services Professionals will be laid off on Thursday, Feb. 23 from 8 to 11 a.m. The Supportive Services Local layoff will take place from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24. This will impact employees in the courthouse, Human Services Department, Health Department, County Office Complex, and the Administration Building. Friday afternoon, Feb. 24, will see some offices closed and limited services being provided in most of the others.

Manitowoc County is fortunate to have dedicated employees who are engaged in providing high quality services to the public. The layoffs are due to one factor only: the need to maintain compliance with the adopted 2006 budget.

The 2006 budget process was a very difficult one. New limitations from the state of Wisconsin required us to hold our revenue increase to 2 percent of the 2005 budget. The value of this 2 percent was roughly equivalent to the 16.88 percent increase in the cost of health insurance for 2006. All other expenditure increases had to be matched by equivalent spending decreases.
The challenge was to find a balance between the public's need for services and the desire to maintain a fair compensation package for Manitowoc County's employees. Add in the increased fuel costs to heat public buildings, the increased cost of fuel for the Highway Department and Sheriff's Department, along with all of the normal inflationary increases, and you can see how challenging the creation of this budget was.

Manitowoc County met this challenge by adopting a budget that provided a 3 percent wage increase for all regular employees but also required employees participating in the county's health insurance plan to increase their contribution from 8 percent of the premium to 10 percent of the premium. Even with a 10 percent employee contribution, in 2006 Manitowoc County will pay $827.15 more for each single plan and $2,069.78 more for each family plan.
The annual increased cost to employees for a single health insurance plan is $146.58, and it's $366.74 for a family plan. This increase has been in place for non-represented employees since Jan. 1. Also, one of seven union locals has agreed to a health insurance plan design change that will provide the equivalent savings.

It is my hope that with open minds and creative thinking, the unions and the county will come to a voluntary settlement that will allow the continuation of important public services while providing Manitowoc County employees with a fair wage and benefit package. Manitowoc County is committed to doing everything possible to achieve this outcome as soon as possible.

Dan Fischer, Manitowoc County executive, may be reached at 920-683-4375.