Supervisors to kick off year with layoffs
VISALIA — Six people employed by the county’s Resource Management Agency (RMA), Community Development Division may be issued layoff notices if Tulare County Supervisors vote Tuesday to delete those positions.
RMA staff is requesting that the board blot out seven Community Development Specialist positions, six filled and one vacant, effective Feb. 24.
According to a staff report in Tuesday’s agenda, with the dissolution of the county’s Redevelopment Agency, Community Development staff can no longer be supported in the agency’s budget.
On June 28, as part of his plan to close California’s budget deficit, Gov. Jerry Brown signed an assembly bill to dissolve the state’s more than 400 redevelopment agencies, effective Oct. 1, to send more local tax money to schools and public safety.
Most recently, the state Supreme Court ruled that Brown and state lawmakers have the authority to eliminate redevelopment agencies but not force them to redirect their taxes to local services.
As a result of the ruling, the effective date of the dissolution was extended to Feb. 1.
RMA staff contend that while Community Development staff cannot remain, there is sufficient sustainable grant activity combined with the remaining affordable housing activities to support a smaller-sized staff. RMA is also proposing the creation of a Grants and Development Division made up of five positions.
The Community Development Manager position will also be deleted, and the incumbent will be reclassified to the new position of Grants and Development Manager.
Additionally, one Accountant III position from the RMA Community Development Division will be transferred to the RMA Fiscal Division.
The six incumbents of the deleted Community Development Specialist positions would compete with other interested county employees for the four Grants Specialist positions through an internal recruitment, the staff report states.
Also on Tuesday:
- Newly appointed board Chairman Allen Ishida will present his State of the County address.
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors is set to meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday, in the county Administration Building, 2800 W. Burrel Ave.
To view Tuesday’s agenda in its entirety, visit http://bosagendas.co.tulare.ca.us/.
Contact Denise Madrid at 784-5000, ext. 1047 or dmadrid@portervillerecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @DeniseMadrid_.
