YORK, Pa. — York County Commissioner Julie Wheeler said Tuesday that the county will furlough 277 employees as it prepares for an anticipated plunge in property tax revenues brought on by high unemployment in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Speaking to employees in a video posted to YouTube, with fellow commissioners Doug Hoke and Ron Smith seated behind her, Wheeler said the county had hoped to avoid furloughing any employees, but the decision could not be avoided.
York County's administration, she said, is not immune to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
"These temporary moves are being made to hopefully avoid having to make deeper, and possibly permanent, cuts in the future," she said. "The Board of Commissioners and our county leaders want to assure you that no one is being furloughed through any fault of their own. This is an international health crisis, to which we are not immune."
The furlough will go into effect Saturday. Employees will learn this week if they are among those who have been furloughed, Wheeler said.
It is the commissioners' plan that all furloughed employees will be able to return to work "once we emerge from this crisis, and the curve has been flattened," Wheeler said.
In a follow-up press release, the county commissioners said the determination of which positions could be furloughed was based upon the commissioners ask of each elected official and department director to determine what work is life sustaining and mission critical and which employees are needed to accomplish that work.
"This unprecedented measure is necessary due to the adverse economic impact of COVID-19," the commissioners said. "Some of the challenges facing the County are that half of the county’s budget comes from state and federal taxes, which the County anticipates may be delayed as deadlines are extended on tax payments and money diverted to critical stimulus packages."
In addition, York County anticipates delays in real estate tax payments which will also impact its cash flow, the release said.
In prior years, the release said, the county could rely on borrowing funds until tax revenues were received, but the current state of the financial markets has rendered county government incapable of borrowing such funds -- and with a $7.1 million debt service payment coming due at the beginning of June, York County cannot afford to go into default on this loan.
"This difficult decision to furlough employees shall save the county approximately $717,000 per month and will allow county government to concentrate funding the essential services that are provided to the community and sustain operations for as long as possible," the release concluded.
