At a time when Butler County's poor are needing county services on an ever-increasing basis, the county is laying off a dozen employees that administer those services.
Those workers will lose their jobs at Butler County's Job and Family Services department January 30.
The end result will likely be lines that are even longer than they currently are.
Because of current economic conditions, the number of people living in poverty and needing those services has ballooned. The county paid out $3.7 million in benefits in November and that number is expected to continue to rise. Yet, the county saw its revenues drop 10 percent creating a $2.5 million gap.
Butler County officials also fear that state and federal cuts could force it to reduce the availability of child day care for low-income workers. A reduction there, they say, could force more people into unemployment... the exact opposite of the goal for which the program was established.
