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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > September > 18 > Entry
Children services cuts to forestall levy
Butler County Children Services and county commissioners met today (though I never saw the meeting advertised) to plan deep cuts at the agency in the hopes of pushing back a new levy indefinitely.
They’re looking at $3.56 million in cuts, including $2.35 in personnel cuts and $660,000 savings from agency director Michael Fox’s controversial family preservation efforts.
Here is the story, and here is the summary that Fox handed county commissioners today (click on the top right corner to enlarge it):
Part of the plan is to shift roughly $900,000 in costs to Butler County Job and Family Services through merging the two agencies’ finance departments.
JFS Director Bruce Jewett says his agency can cover this, but in a separate proposal, is requesting $900,000 from the recently discovered surplus in the county’s senior services levy to help pay for adult protective services.
What do you think of these proposals?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Children Services
Comments
By Foxenomics
September 19, 2008 8:37 PM | Link to this
Nice try, but Fox’s savings estimate is easily overstated by at least $1.4 million. Fox only offers new personnel reductions amounting to $552,691 (previous cuts shouldn’t be counted again) and his merger savings of $900,000 delivers nothing to county taxpayers as he shifts those costs elsewhere in the county, Federal TANF funding (sort of like a federal earmark I guess) may save, but he’s relying on a Federal government that is already spending too much, and it’s still ultimately a cost to overburdened taxpayers. What will he do if it gets cut? Same goes for TANF funding of Agency Contracts. PEP was too generous to begin with and using the state to justify offering it up now seems a bit cowardly, even for Mike Fox. And, given his math skills on the above I’d really question his ability to deliver the savings he shares on items six and seven. If he can’t deliver real numbers and results, then maybe he should be cut…without a generous buyout.
By Don Carpenter
September 20, 2008 8:48 AM | Link to this
Another “Fox Basher” who just can’t help himself. Why not really evaluate the situation and at least give Mike credit for being open minded enough to straighten this albatross of a county agency out. Look at the history, for example, there have been over 100 people added in the last ten years due to staffing increases ‘needed’. Balderdash! We need accountable and smart leadership and people with enough guts and moxie to make it happen. I am so tired of the waste and its time we did something!
By Foxenomics
September 20, 2008 9:24 AM | Link to this
I think it’s great that the County Commissioners and Fox are undertaking a closer evaluation of this agency. It should happen with all of them. My issue is Fox’s math. It really doesn’t add up and to publicly present it as he has is misleading. And, given his wealth of experience and his position and that’s concerning.