ASHLAND — The Ashland County Sheriff’s Office must reduce hours for some employees and let go of others to comply with the Ashland County Commissioners’ recent request.
Commissioners asked for 10 percent budget cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact on the county.
According to Sheriff E. Wayne Risner, his office will shrink its 2020 budget by reducing hours for administrative staff and letting go of three full-time employees from the corrections division and six part-time employees.
“We’ve tried to reduce the equipment lines — and we did — but we still had to make some adjustments (with staffing),” Risner said.
Initially, additional full-time employees were to lose their jobs due to the required cuts, but three employees voluntarily took layoffs, Risner said. The other three full-time employees, who will unwillingly lose their jobs, were probationary employees, meaning they hadn’t been employed for more than a year.
“It’ll mean some changes for some of the guys on the enforcement side. We might have to move them around on different schedules,” Risner said. “And we lost the six people out of the jail, so some people on the road will now be working back in the jail.”
Further, Commissioners have scheduled a special meeting, to be held in executive session, Monday, May 18 to discuss contract negotiations with the Sheriff’s Office. A 3-percent pay increase for officers was slotted into the 2020 budget.
Administrative staff will see hours reduced from 40 to 32 hours and likely won’t receive anticipated annual pay raises. They will remain “full-time employees” though, as Ashland County government employees can be considered full-time by working a minimum of 27 hours per week.
The requirement was 30 hours per week, but the Ashland County commissioners approved legislation in late April amending the county’s health plan to redefine a full-time employee as one who works a minimum of 27 hours per week.
“It’s kind of ironic. This was the best year. I’ve been here over 30 years, and this was the best year I remember up until this pandemic,” Risner said. “It was amazing. We were able to do things to improve our work, make upgrades we needed.”
He thanked his employees for their cooperation and willingness to adapt.
“All the departments, they got the same order I got, to cut by 10 percent,” Risner said. “It’s just the way it is, and I’m hoping it doesn’t go deeper than that.”
