After working through the weekend to determine how to make up for an unexpected budget deficit, San Mateo County Superior Court officials plan to announce layoff details Tuesday –- a “significantly reduced” number from the originally announced 60, the court’s executive officer told us today.
“We feel badly that we need to lay off anybody in this environment,” Court Executive Officer John Fitton said.
Fitton added that he would sit down with the affected court employees individually tomorrow.
The unexpected $3.89 million deficit came after court administrators found that holding 35 positions vacant wouldn’t yield the projected savings they were counting on, according to Fitton. Revenues were $2 million less than they expected, too.
The Service Employees International Union Local 521 rallied at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City last week, calling for an outside auditor –- rather than the ongoing investigation by the Administrative Office of the Courts –- to look into accounting errors that caused the unexpected budget shortfall.
— Kate Moser
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