Title
AN ORDINANCE instituting a hiring freeze for all nonessential county personnel through the end of 2009; and declaring an emergency.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY: SECTION 1. Findings:
A. Through the passage of Ordinance 16339 on December 15, 2008, the council ratified the executive's emergency budget proclamation.
B. The emergency budget crisis proclamation was necessary despite the council's reduction of ninety-three million dollars from the county's general fund budget.
C. The emergency budget crisis has continued into 2009 as the economy has showed further signs of contraction, tax collections have continued to fall and the overall outlook for 2010 has worsened.
D. The county is projecting a 2010 deficit for the county's general fund of nearly fifty million dollars.
E. The county is projecting a 2010-2011 deficit in the public transportation fund of one hundred sixty-eight million dollars.
F. The county's single biggest expense is the salary and benefit costs associated with employees.
G. Deferring decisions on the filling of county vacancies has the advantage of both saving money in 2009 and reducing prospective cuts for the 2010 budget.
H. Due to the severity and time-critical nature of the emergency budget crisis and the need for a hiring freeze, enactment of this ordinance as an emergency ordinance is necessary to ensure that restrictions on hiring established by this ordinance take effect immediately.
SECTION 2. From the effective date of this ordinance, the county shall institute a hiring freeze of all nonessential personnel. Positions shall not be filled except as exceptions outlined in sections 3 and 4 of this ordinance.
SECTION 3.
A. Due to the public safety and public health nature of these positions, the hiring freeze prescribed in section 2 of this ordinance does not apply to:
1. Positions in the department of public safety;
2. Corrections officers in the county's correct...
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