County lays off 67 workers, mostly building inspectors

By Kyle B. Hansen

Friday, Jan. 8, 2010 | 4:44 p.m.

The construction slowdown is being blamed for more layoffs today, this time in the county’s Development Services Department.

The department laid off 67 people today, lost six employees as part of the county’s voluntary separation program and transferred two people to other departments.

The department, which approves and inspects new buildings, said most of the layoffs are building inspectors who are no longer needed as less construction takes place.

The county performed 63 percent fewer inspections in the last fiscal year than it did four years ago, the department said, from 750,357 in 2004-2005 to 280,733 in 2008-2009.

The biggest decrease has been in new home inspections, which are down 86 percent, from 14,260 n 2004 to 1,930 in 2009.

All categories of permits are down by more than half, with the county issuing 43,209 in 2008-2009, down from 98,784 in 2005-2006.

In addition to the six people who voluntarily left the Development Services Department, 44 other employees had their last day of work as a result of the county’s voluntary separation program, the county administration reported at Tuesday’s commission meeting.

Commissioners also approved eliminating or demoting 23 management jobs on Tuesday.