Lawmakers are finally starting to say what the stimulus will buy and will it come too late? Eyewitness News just found out Orange County’s mayor handed down another sweeping round of cuts.
A letter from Mayor Rich Crotty to the county commission calls for cutting the county’s operating budget another five percent and that means no raises, no bonuses, and a hiring freeze that will continue for everyone but those in public safety.
There will be no research studies. There are cuts to travel expenses. There’s no new construction unless funded by federal stimulus money. That means long delays for roughly $150 million in projects, such as new fire stations and local road improvements.
The mayor says all department heads are looking for ways to make cuts. He says 500 jobs will be eliminated and, down the road, more county workers could be handed pink slips.
The new budget cuts mean Diazys Santiago is worried about losing her healthcare. She is a full-time student and mother of two. She has been going to a county-funded health clinic because it serves people with little or no health insurance.
“The economy, it’s a struggle, especially with two children,” she said.
Right now, PCAN clinics serve 75,000 people in Orange County. They’re already turning away some families and now clinic managers say they may have to turn away more.
Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty is cutting the county budgets by at least five percent across the board. Outside agencies the county funds will see a 10 percent reduction. Five hundred open positions are frozen and will most likely be eliminated. Layoffs are also still on the table.
“We hope not to send anyone home from their job, but her again, it’s a tough economic time and we have to gauge that as we move forward,” Crotty said.
Crotty said the county is looking at cutting around $150 million, which also means there won’t be any money for new projects such as roads or new fire stations unless its funded by the federal stimulus money or grants. The mayor also said, until he sees the final numbers, he could cut more services in the future.
“It would be devastating if people don’t get the help they get here,” Santiago said.
The mayor said he won’t know exactly how much he needs to cut until he knows how much money the county will receive from property taxes. Those figures are expected in May.
Source: wftv.com
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