More Flak Over Calaveras County Furloughs

Once again, Calaveras County Assessor Randy Metzger is refusing to contribute to the county´s furlough program and said talks are underway to get rid of the controversial program.

“I just know that there was an offer made by the union to the board and part of that is going to be getting rid of the furloughs,” he said.

A closed-session labor negotiation was held Tuesday, after which the board instructed Human Resources Director Francine Osborne to return to negotiations, Supervisor Merita Callaway said.

Since Metzger is an elected official he does not belong to the county employees association. He said he heard of the proposal “through the grapevine.”

No official word has been released regarding canceling the furloughs.

Coming up on Tuesday, elected officials are being asked once again to put up their share for the county´s latest furlough, which was held on Nov. 24.

Elected officials are exempt from the furloughs but are asked to voluntary contribute one day´s pay for each of the five furlough days the Board of Supervisors approved in June to balance a budget.

In October, Metzger refused to pay for the first furlough, held on Sept. 3, and caught flak from some supervisors who said he wasn´t a team player. Metzger maintains, by enacting the furloughs, supervisors “don´t understand the way a team should work.”

“I´m not paying that yet because I´m still protesting the furloughs,” Metzger said. “They´re not working. They´re not saving any money. Why do them? They´re just causing ill will amongst the employees and ill will amongst the people who come to the county to do business.”

Metzger said he would tell that to the board at a finance meeting scheduled for late January.

Read more about this story at the Calaveras Enterprise.