8 am: 38°FMostly Sunny

10 am: 51°FPartly Sunny

12 pm: 56°FPartly Sunny

2 pm: 59°FPartly Sunny

More Weather

Print | E-mail to a friend NEWS BRIEFS

W.Va. county cuts 4 jobs to avoid deficit

January 16, 2009 @ 10:29 AM

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (AP) — The Berkeley County Commission is eliminating four jobs and leaving four other positions vacant as it tries to avoid a projected $1.5 million budget deficit.

Commissioners voted Thursday to approve the layoffs, which will occur in the engineering, planning and County Commission offices. Commission President Ronald K. Collins said the affected workers are expected to remain on the payroll until mid-February.

Human Resources Director Alan J. Davis said the moves are expected to save a total $362,997 in salary and benefits.

The housing bust has wounded the Eastern Panhandle, and Berkeley County has struggled for months with falling tax revenues.

The county has already imposed a hiring freeze and scrapped a plan to give employees pay raises.