[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish government predicts 10 to 20 more layoffs in 2013

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Parish government predicts 10 to 20 more layoffs in 2013
  By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
on January 08, 2013 at 5:03 PM, updated January 08, 2013 at 5:54 PM Print

St. Bernard Parish government could see an additional 10 to 20 layoffs 
this year, Ross Gonzales, the parish finance director, said on Tuesday 
afternoon. The parish administration already eliminated 82 positions 
last year, bringing the total employee count down to 433.


"While downsizing the organization has been a painful endeavor for 
everyone involved, there is unfortunately more work to be done in terms 
of 'right-sizing' St. Bernard Parish government for the post-Katrina 
environment," Parish President Dave Peralta said at a council meeting 
last month. "The administration will make every effort to bring 
employees back to the organization as our financial situation and 
operational needs dictate."

When Peralta took office in January, there were 515 parish employees. 
Prior to Hurricane Katrina striking the parish in 2005, parish 
government had 528 employees.

Before Katrina and the levee breaks wasted the parish, the parish had 
about 65,000 residents. Now it is estimated to have about 40,000.

So now there are 95 fewer parish employees than before Katrina, an 
18-percent decrease. The population, meanwhile, decreased by 25,000 
residents, or about 38 percent.

But, Peralta has often stated that the parish "did not get any smaller," 
despite the population decrease.

"The infrastructure of our parish did not shrink, dissolve or recede," 
Peralta said last year. "Our responsibilities did not lessen. In fact, 
we have more responsibilities now than we did pre-Katrina."

Peralta has said that recovery brings with it its own burdens, many of 
which are not covered by grants.

Peralta also has pointed out that the parish employee numbers include 31 
elected officials, 29 judicial officials and employees, four Board of 
Zoning Adjustment employees, three Registrars of Voters employees, 36 
employees paid by grants and 106 firefighters.

That's 209 of the current 433 employees, leaving only about 225 who work 
more directly for parish government.

At its 7 p.m. Tuesday meeting, the St. Bernard Parish Council will vote 
on introducing various amendments to the projected 2013 parish budget.