HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-21-2011 - 8cORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: June 21, 2011
Action Agenda
Item No.G
SUBJECT: Approval of Fiscal Year 2011-12 Personnel Ordinance Chan es
DEPARTMENT: Human Resources PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Personnel Ordinance, Article V,
Section 19.0, Living Wage and Article
IV, Section 24.0 Furlough
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Katherine Cathey, Interim Human
Resources Director, 245-2553
PURPOSE: To approve amendments to the Orange County Personnel Ordinance Article V,
Section 19.0, Living Wage and Article IV, Section 24.0, Furlough.
BACKGROUND: If approved by the Board of County Commissioners, the 2011-12 Manager's
Recommended Budget requires approval of an amendment to Article V, Section 19.0 and
Article IV, Section 24.0 of the Orange County Personnel Ordinance.
Staff recommends amending Article V, Section 19.0 to refer to a minimum hourly wage, "as set
by the Board of Commissioners in the annual budget", rather than stipulating the amount of the
minimum hourly wage. This change would alleviate the need to amend the Personnel
Ordinance each time the Living Wage is updated during the annual budget process.
North Carolina General Statute §153A-45 provides that in order for an ordinance to be adopted
on its first reading it "must receive the approval of all the members of the board of
commissioners. If the ordinance is approved by a majority of those voting but not by all the
members of the board... it shall be considered at the next regular meeting of the board." The
Board then has 100 days after introduction of the ordinance to adopt the change to the
ordinance. If the Board does not unanimously approve the above amendment to the Personnel
Ordinance, the amendment will not go into effect, as this is the last regular board meeting prior
to July 1, 2011, and the Living Wage will remain at $10.12 per hour instead of the $10.81 in the
recommended budget.
In addition, because of the financial crisis for the past two years, the Board has authorized a
Furlough Plan for County employees. An amendment to Article IV, Section 24.0, Furlough
allows the Board to have the use of furlough in times of economic crisis, but also allows the
County Manager to use voluntary furloughs as an ongoing cost saving measure.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Savings from the proposed personnel services reductions are included in
the 2011-12 Manager's Recommended Budget. The savings projected from extending the
Voluntary Furlough program is $30,000. Personnel services costs associated with increasing
2
the Living Wage are also included in the 2011-12 Manager's Recommended Budget. The
estimated annual cost of increasing the Living Wage from $10.12 per hour to $10.81 per hour is
$35,000.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board amend the Orange County
Personnel Ordinance Article V, Section 19.0 and Article IV, Section 24.0, as provided in the
attachment, effective July 1, 2011.
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Orange County Personnel Ordinance Issue Date; July I, 2011 3
Article V, Section 19.11 Living Wage
19.1 Each Orange County employee, whether appointed as permanent or temporary, is paid a
minimum hourly wage, as set by the Board of af~'~J~--~~'-"-~.~~-1County
Commissioners in the annual budget, except as provided in Item 19.2 below.
19.2 A high school student employed as a temporary employee or other temporary employee
working for education purposes as determined by the a~rz~~~T~t-Department l
Director and :',~~elHuman Resources Director may be paid less than -per
l~rthe Living Wage, as set by the Board of County Commissioners in the amiual budget,
so long as the employee is paid at Ieast the Federal Minimum Wage.
Article IV, Section 24.0 Furlough
24.1 From time to time a Furlough Plan may be implemented.
24.1. T Mandatory Furlough. The Board of County Commissioners may by resolution and
~s-~~~cdc~l-~9'r~~~~3-t-~-r~~~c-tc~-thee-implement a mandatory furlough plan.
24.1.2 Voluntary Furlough The County Manager may implement a voluntary furlough
plan as provided in Subsection 24.3.
24.2 An employee who takes a furlough shall- not lose seniority, shall not be required to pay
employer paid benefits and shall earn and retain all leave at the same rate, unless
otherwise provided by the Board, as if the cost saving measure had not occurred.
24.3 The Ccunty Manager shall provide Administrative Rules and Regulations to carry out the
provisions of the section.