[StBernard] St. Bernard lays off nearly 10 percent of parish work force

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard lays off nearly 10 percent of parish work force

wwltv.com

Posted on May 21, 2012 at 5:25 PM

Updated yesterday at 5:42 PM

Mike Perlstein / Eyewitness News

Email: mperlstein at wwltv.com | Twitter: @mperlstein

NEW ORLEANS -- After crunching the numbers St. Bernard Parish President Dave
Peralta said he had no choice but to hand out pink slips to 44 employees,
nearly 10 percent of the parish work force.

Peralta said the layoffs will offset about half of a $5 million deficit in a
$17 million budget.

"We wanted to make sure we were at a bare bones level as far as equipment
and supplies before we laid off one person. Because that's a dramatic thing
to have to do, for someone to lose their job. It's absolutely the hardest
thing I've done in my life."

There are several reasons behind the budget shortfall, led by lower than
expected sales tax revenues.

Council chairman Guy McInnis said he will wait for a full report before
looking at measures to bring back workers.

"Once we look at all that and get a good report of what's happening within
each department, we can. By law we can increase fees, we can put a fee out
there to the public for a vote, we can add fees for specific services."

Michael Bailey, a member of Peralta's transition team, said the parish
should be looking elsewhere for money. He said the community impact of the
layoffs will be enormous.

"Not only does that affect 44 employees, but you're talking about this
affecting 44 families. So when you have 44 families, depending on how many
kids and how many people are relying on those persons to provide for that
family, it can have a serious effect."

There is one development that might cushion the blow. A new parish hospital
is expected to open before the end of summer. Peralta is already talking to
the hospital about absorbing some workers.

"That is one of the bright spots in a rather dismal picture right now is
that many of our employees will go to the new hospital and get good
employment there."

The hardest hit department was public works with 16 layoffs, followed by the
Department of Administration with six.

Employees hired under several prior administrations were cut, including some
hired by Peralta when he was parish chief administrative officer after
Hurricane Katrina.