FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
County Furloughs begin Dec. 21
Madera County will implement furloughs beginning Dec. 21. While some departments will remain open to the public, several departments will close two Fridays per month through May 2010.
Those departments are Administrative Management; Ag Commissioner; Assessor; Board of Supervisors; Cooperative Extension; County Counsel; Human Resources; Library (all branches); Resource Management Agency departments Administration, Building Inspections, Engineering, Environmental Health, Planning, and Fire Prevention for Land Development; Revenue Services; Treasurer-Tax Collector; and Veterans Services.
Departments listed above will close Dec. 21-23 with the exception of the Board of Supervisors and Building Maintenance. Veterans Services will be open Dec. 21 and 22 and will close Dec. 23. RMA staff for roads, special districts, solid waste and construction services will be available via telephone only. The RMA building will be closed. The Cooperative Extension will close Dec. 31.
Furlough days in 2010 will be Jan. 15 and 29, Feb. 12 and 26, March 12 and 26, April 23, May 7 and 21.
Effective Jan. 1, the Sheriff’s Department main headquarters in Madera and substations in Oakhurst and Bass Lake will close every Friday. Office hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
The substation in the Madera Ranchos will close permanently Jan. 1.
Starting Jan. 1, the Sheriff’s Civil Division will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. The civil division will close on court furlough days, the third Wednesday of each month.
The Madera County Board of Supervisors voted to implement the furlough program in effort to stabilize its budget the remainder of the fiscal year and to achieve additional savings for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.
