Monday, February 22, 2010

Budget Amendment Letter

Until we can get a clarification on the Pensioners Group Health and Life Insurance budget , we'll just leave at this.

Click here for news release.

Click here for amendment letter.

14 comments:

Barney said...

The employee manual says, cite the most egregious violation and give warnings on the balance.

Ladies and Gentleman,how would the county be effected if all officers just followed the employee manual?

Let's all be good officers and do what the manual suggests.

Had Enough! said...

The problem with all these "cuts":

THEY'RE AT OUR EXPENSE WITH NO REDUCTION IN SERVICES TO THE CITIZENS!

If my family budget falls short, we cut out the extras... dinner out, pizza delivered, movies, clothes etc.... when is the county and Mr. Ellis himself gonna cut back on the extras?

The "furloughs".... that cut the expense to the county, but they forced us to provide the same level of service! No paying us for holidays...again the same!

Come on Mr. Ellis, I don't even live in Dekalb! Why am I being forced to shoulder the cost of law enforcement for Dekalb?

Anonymous said...

I for one love to follow the manual, count me in.

Anonymous said...

Looks like everybody can kiss their take home cars goodbye too.

Anonymous said...

Mr. CEO,

From reading these comments and the reaction of many officers around the department it may appear that the police department has turned against you. If you are feeling that way I can certainly understand why. Well regardless of how it appears, the truth is that we have not exactly turned against you. This police department is just sick of the same old thing over and over. We have had such poor leadership for so long, it doesn’t take much to arouse anger and distrust in most officers. Considering what we have dealt with over the last several years this is completely understandable.

This recent incident involving Shelia Edwards is an embarrassment to the entire county government and it should be an embarrassment to you. Please do not try to blame the reporter, because blaming someone else is what Vernon Jones would do. You promised us and the voters that you would be different. If you are going to allow an arrogant crazy woman to represent you to the media then you are not different. That is exactly how the previous administration conducted business. I still believe that you are better than that.

This situation with the budget is not easy by any means and obviously it is not limited to DeKalb County. While officers are upset and even angry, most of us understand that you did not create the budget shortfall. I do believe that it is reasonable for us to expect you to be up front and honest at all times concerning this matter.

Our police department is pretty dysfunctional right now and suffers from an identity crisis. There are some great officers who work here and that is all that gets us through from week to week. The leadership is less than average at best and I do not see it getting better. Mr. CEO, if this police department fails, your administration will fail and all of DeKalb County will suffer. I really think you know this but if you think that just getting rid of Bolton, although I am grateful for it, was enough you are mistaken. We are in some pretty desperate times and this calls for decisive action. Like it or not we need you Mr. CEO, and YOU NEED US.

Anonymous said...

And don't forget we have not had a pay increase in two years and now this crap.....????

Anonymous said...

Hey Barney, tell me where in the employee manual i can find that..i want to have it when i get written up and have to write a To From!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Unless im reading this wrong it DOES NOT appear that he is cutting the retiree insurance or making us pay more. It simply says on page 3 item 3 that he found they had budgeted more than they needed and were able to save a little money. Please take a look and correct me if im wrong and if you were wrong please say so and correct it ASAP so you dont incite a riot by retired people.

Barney said...

From the Traffic Enforcement Section of the Employee Manual

4.3.1 (Paragraph II caps added for emphasis)
The reduction in the number and severity of traffic accidents will be the sole motivation of the department's traffic enforcement effotrts. THE GENERATION OF REVENUE OR IMPOSITION OF QUOTA SYSTEMS WILL NOT BE A DETERMINING FACTOR.

4.3.9 (F)
Multiple Violations: May cite all, if deemed necessary; normally choose the most serious violation and warn on others

Ladies and Gentleman, I urge you all to follow the manual to the letter.

Anonymous said...

To my fellow officers:

Ten "furlough" days are days we work with reduced pay. GIVE THE COUNTY THEIR FURLOUGHS WORTH. Ten percent less traffic tickets, lower case clearance rate, etc. I'm not saying don't do anything, just don't work as hard for less money.

In reference to loosing take home cars, I hope the citizens can live with an extremely long response time from the crimes against person detectives, Major Felony and SVU. There are many times we take a call (or multiple calls) in the middle of the night and don't request overtime because we have to be advised but don't have to respond. That will change, overtime will be paid. Remember, if OT is requested for County business, it has to be paid, comp time cannot be forced on us. Transfer us because we want to be paid? Where? The road, where there is less responsibility for the same pay? Gladly. Who will fill the vacancy? No one in the right mind.

To the citizens of DeKalb County:

I'm sorry, but you get what you and the people you elected pay for.

Anonymous said...

About take home cars - as I understand it the Special Operations officers have take-home cars because they are on recall teams for serious incidents, natural disasters, major incidents and such. Don't know about them but if it was me and they took away the take home car - well - not going to answer my phone when I'm off duty. Can't even get the county to pay overtime - they sure as hell are not going to pay for the gas. Hope the citizens were not counting on underpaid police to respond from home. If the few that are left demand overtime or refuse to respond what they going to do? Like the man said - transfer them to uniform - yup - less work for the same pay.

Anonymous said...

Mr. CEO, it's time for you to lead by example. You want us to loose our holidays? Give up your holidays. You want furlough days, you and your staff need furlough days. How about cutting a few of those overpaid on your staff and getting rid of the useless Director of Public Safety. You want to take away take home cars, give up your driver and county car. None of us are buying the "15 hours a day" claim. Do we like everything about the new command staff? No, but at least they are here working and taking the same furlough days. The department takes criticism for hiring unqualified people under TEBO, but just what kind of personnel are you going to attract with no paid holidays, furlough days, cuts in retirement? There are plenty of places for us to go that will offer us better. Wake up and smell the coffee Ellis, a terrible workplace attracts terrible employees. It would be a great idea to treat the good ones you have well enough for them to stay.

Anonymous said...

I find it really funny in the budget the CEO says he expects a increase in the amount of citations writen in 2010. Further more he says the increase will not come from uniform. Well Mr.CEO were would they come from? If you put that on Spec Ops do you really think they will comply when they lose there take home cars. When the Sgt's try to push it I think everyone should comply with warning tickets.

Anonymous said...

All members of the BOC stated that " the budget will not be balanced on the backs of the employees". However, it seems we are the most penalized. In 2009 no merit increases, elimination of the sick leave incentive, layoffs and an unfunded holiday. Now 2010 there are not merit increases, no sick leave incentive, 7 unpaid holidays, layoffs and still a possibility of furlough days. Yet nothing is being done about the abuse of comp time or overtime, the over staffing in the CEO's office, reduction at management levels and until the attention from the media the executive level were exempt from the same penalties of the employees. What a mess. Maybe this time they will really enforce the unpaid holidays for everyone. At a time like this no one should be exempt due to special privileges.