PORT ANGELES — Clallam County officials have identified the 16 unpaid furlough days that employees will take in 2012.
All of the recommended furlough days are Mondays. They will be taken as unpaid vacations scattered throughout the year.
The recommended furlough days are Jan. 30, March 26, April 2, May 7, May 21, June 11, June 25, July 9, July 23, Aug. 27, Sept. 17, Oct. 1, Oct. 8, Nov. 19, Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.
This morning, the three commissioners will consider a resolution approving the schedule, which elected officials and department heads hashed out in a meeting last week.
“I think it’s a pretty good product here,” County Administrator Jim Jones said in the commissioners’ work session Monday. “There was a lot of thought put into it. A lot of discussion.
“I think we ought to give it a shot.”
Most county offices will be closed on the furlough days.
Superior Court, however, will be open because the state sets the judicial calendar.
Elected judges and the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney are exempt from the furlough days because the state sets their salaries. But clerks, bailiffs, court reporters and other court staff are not exempt.
Superior Court-related Teamsters employees will have flexible furlough days, Jones said. If they need to work a trial that happens on a furlough day, they can take a day off later that week.
“We will have some flexibility from Teamsters for that department, it would appear,” Jones said.
Also exempt from furloughs are the 24-hour public safety employees such as sheriff’s sergeants and deputies and corrections sergeants and deputies.
Everyone else will take 16 furloughs, which amounts to a 6.13 percent pay cut.
The county had to lay off 15 people last month and consolidate other positions to help balance a $2.7 million shortfall in the $31.2 million general fund.
The eight unions that represent county employees agreed to the furloughs in order to prevent an additional 16 layoffs.
County workers also agreed to return their 3.3 percent cost of living raise as a credit to the county’s portion of their health care premium.
Employee pensions are based on the total amount, including the raises being returned.
County officials described this year’s budget season as the most difficult in recent memory because of the economy and the end of using reserves to cover shortfalls.
The budget was passed by a 3-0 vote of the commissioners Dec. 6.
Like a Monday holiday, commissioners will schedule their Monday work session on Tuesday morning after each furlough day.
The work sessions will start at 8:30 a.m. or 9 a.m., depending on the size of the agenda, before the regular business meeting at 10 a.m.
A planned furlough day for July 2 was changed to June 25 because of an anticipated conflict with the payroll schedule.
County commissioners have the final say on what days will be furloughs.
They can also change the schedule or rescind furlough days after they are approved.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
