Mahoning County Sheriff Randall Wellington issued layoff notices Friday afternoon for 101 employees of his department. The layoffs will take effect March 28.
Facing a budget allocation that's roughly $8 million less than he requested and about $6 million less than he actually spent last year, Wellington said his hands are tied.
"I can only spend what they give me," said Wellington. "I can't overspend what they give me."
Of the layoff notices, 90 went to deputies, cutting Wellington's staff by a third. Wellington said it will force the department to close down nearly half the jail.
"We kind of knew we were in trouble, but we didn't know to what extent," said Mahoning County Deputy Sheriff Glenn Kountz, who also heads the Fraternal Order of Police. "Not only is my membership devastated, but the people we represent and provide safety for should be devastated as well. This is going to be far-reaching when it shakes itself out."
Kountz is looking to file petitions to see the county's commissioners recalled.
"Every time the commissioners need money, they use our contract as a checkbook, and it has got to stop," he said.
But Wellington said among the county's money issues is losing $5 million per year by releasing its federal inmates. That combines with the general fund cuts to create an $11 million hole in Wellington's budget.
Wellington said he'll be forced to cut his overall inmate population because of a federal consent decree issued several years ago. It was the result of a lawsuit filed by inmates over conditions in the jail, one of them being overcrowding. At the time, the judge ruled, in effect, if the sheriff couldn't fully staff the lockup, he would not be able to keep as many inmates.
Right now, there are more than 400 prisoners in the jail. The consent decree would cap that number at just 254.
Mahoning County Administrator George Tablack was hopeful a possible solution could be met before the layoffs are official.
"We are working vigorously to get as much money back to the sheriff's department to keep as many as the deputies as possible," Tablack said.
For now, a meeting with that judge is set for Wednesday in Cleveland. Under a court order, stemming from an inmate lawsuit on overcrowding, the jail must clear the layoffs before a three judge panel.
"We're going to lay out what we have done to him and just see what he has to say about all this," Wellington said.
Those sent notices of layoff were four sergeants, 90 deputies and seven civilians.
