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ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: April 0, 2010 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. <br /> SUBJECT: Elimination of Vacant Positions <br /> DEPARTMENT: Human Resources PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br /> ATTACHMENT (S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Frank W. Clifton, county Manager, 245- <br /> 1) Proposed Positions for Elimination 2300 <br /> Clarence Grier, Financial Services <br /> Director, 245-2453 <br /> Michael McGinnis, Human Resources <br /> Director, 245-2552 <br /> PURPOSE: To eliminate currently vacant positions and create permanent personnel service <br /> cost reductions in the FY 2009-10 and FY 2010-11 Budgets. <br /> BACKGROUND: As part of the FY 2009-10 Budget, the Board of County commissioners <br /> approved a resolution acknowledging the existence of a financial crisis and enacted several <br /> personnel services cost reductions. One of these efforts was to implement a hiring freeze. The <br /> freeze applied to all vacant positions or positions becoming vacant during FY 2009-10. During <br /> this time, the County also enacted a retirement incentive program that created an additional 40 <br /> vacancies. The Board approved a process by which critical positions, necessary to fulfill core <br /> functions and services, could be reviewed by the Human Resources and Financial Services <br /> Departments and filled with the approval of the county Manager. Without a hiring freeze waiver <br /> approved through this process, vacant positions were required to remain vacant for the <br /> remainder of FY 2009-10. currently, savings from the 2009 retirement incentive program and <br /> hiring freeze for these proposed eliminated positions is projected to be approximately $450,000, <br /> if current vacancies remain vacant for the rest of the fiscal year. <br /> Not filling these vacancies challenged departments to seek ways of continuing to provide <br /> services with fewer employees. Several departments worked with the Human Resources <br /> Department and reorganized service delivery processes. In a couple of cases, the Manager <br /> also merged the functions of departments for efficiencies and improved service delivery. While <br /> challenging, these changes have been successfully implemented without creating service <br /> delivery problems. <br /> Current vacancies have been reviewed by Human Resources and Financial Services <br /> Department staff, and positions determined to be available for elimination in FY 2009-10. This <br /> step is intended to create personnel savings in this fiscal year that will be carried forward in the <br />