Madera County Supervisor Tom Wheeler says, "We all as a whole have to sacrifice. Our resources are not unlimited. We can't keep spending." All employees will get layoff notices, partly because some unions have yet to give up their cost of living increase. But SEIU Union Organizer Andy Christiansen says they've been trying to cooperate, "If the county wants us to work together, you're going to have to put the cards on the table so we can come up with some solutions. We're meeting tomorrow and I think we can still work that out."
One citizen points out- previously budget cuts have already impacted public safety. Dale Dorzen says, "You can not get blood from a turnip. We can't pay anymore. You've closed two fire stations. The entire northeast area of Madera County has no fire protection."
The board of supervisors will likely use a combination of cuts and layoffs to solve their deficit. Next month, we should know the exact number of workers to lose their jobs.
