Manatee County Government to Cut 54 Positions

Manatee County Government is cutting 54 positions as part of an ongoing process of downsizing and streamlining operations, it announced Wednesday.

The workforce reductions are part of a balanced budget proposal that County Administrator Ed Hunzeker will present to the Manatee Board of County Commissioners next week, according to a news release.

Additional budget details will be available next Wednesday, June 1, when Hunzeker will propose a new zero-based biennial budget to the board.

Many of the impacted positions were in areas where workload no longer required as many personnel. All affected employees were notified as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the release.

In recent weeks, county human resources representatives worked closely with department heads to reassign some employees to funded, vacant positions. Helping to soften the blow to layoff totals are 20 county employees who chose to take part in an early retirement option, the release states.

“Each of the impacted employees was treated with dignity and respect,” Hunzeker said in the release. “Every attempt was made to keep employee reductions to an absolute minimum.”

Since 2007, Manatee County has reduced staffing levels by 237. The county’s annual net budget from 2007 through this year has been reduced almost $122 million.

The upcoming budget reduction figures will be revealed publicly at 1:30 p.m. next Wednesday in the first-floor chambers of , 1112 Manatee Ave. W.

In addition, the public is invited to attend the following series of budget workshops:

• Mon., June 6, 9 a.m. – Budget Fund Analysis, Fourth Floor Manatee Room
• Mon., June 6, 1:30 p.m. – Decision Unit Review, Fourth Floor Manatee Room 
• Thurs., June 9, 9 a.m. – Decision Unit Review, Fourth Floor Manatee Room 
• Tues., June 14, 9 a.m. – Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Presentation, Fourth Floor Manatee Room
• Tues., June 14, 1:30 p.m. – Constitutional Officers’ Budgets, Fourth Floor Manatee Room 
• Thurs., June 16, 1:30 p.m. – Decision Unit Review (if needed), Fourth Floor Manatee Room
• Thurs., June 16, 6 p.m. – Public Hearing, First Floor Chambers 
• Fri., July 29, 9 a.m. – Budget Reconciliation, First Floor Chambers

Many budget materials will be available by June 1 at www.mymanatee.org/budget