County Manager C.J. Thompson laid off two administrative employees last week in the county’s planning and grants departments.

The last day for assistant planning director Carolyn Bissonnette and State Housing Partnership Initiative [SHIP] coordinator Arlene Griffis will be September 30.

The move will save the county $83,777, or 3.3 percent of the county’s $2.5 million budget shortfall for the coming fiscal year beginning October 1.

“In this environment you have to re-evaluate your staffing needs and make changes where necessary,” said Mr. Thompson this week.

While the assistant planning director position will be eliminated, Mr. Thompson said the SHIP coordinator’s duties were “consolidated” with those of the county’s grants coordinator Maurice Postal.

Planning director Ed Preston and secretary Patricia Bass will stay on in the planning department.

The assistant planning director’s duties include researching and drafting ordinances, drafting land use policies, attending regional economic, transportation and planning meetings; and other projects as assigned by the director. Ms. Bissonnette also assisted the human resources department two days a week.

As SHIP coordinator, Ms. Griffis processed applications, bids and construction contracts for the housing grant program.

The layoffs come on the heels of the Baker County Commission’s decision last week to ask Sheriff Joey Dobson, Tax Collector Gene Harvey, Property Appraiser Tim Sweat, Clerk of Courts Al Fraser and Supervisor of Elections Nita Crawford to pare down their budgets to help alleviate the budget deficit.

The Baker County Commission has also rescheduled its next budget workshop to August 15 at 3:15 pm, 55 N. 3rd St. in Macclenny.

The public is encouraged to attend.