BY B.G. GREGG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Hamilton County Department of Human Services is willing to pay 20 of its senior employees to retire because it will save taxpayers more than $1 million a year in the long run.
The department's retirement incentive program pays employees 20 percent of their annual salaries in a lump sum if they agree to retire. If all 20 take advantage, the county will have to shell out $178,000 up front, but will save nearly $1.2 million in annual operating expenses.
Earlier this year, the county made the same offer to 32 employees, and 15 retired. The county estimates it saved $1.1 million in annual operating expenses through the retirements.
To be eligible for the program, employees must have worked for 30 years, or be age 55 with 25 years of service, or be age 60 with five years of service.
Over the past three years, the Hamilton County Department of Human Services has trimmed staff size from 1,800 to 1,400.
"The nice thing is they have been able to achieve this through attrition, without layoffs," County Commissioner Tom Neyer Jr. said Wednesday.
Human Services Director Don Thomas said the department needs to downsize not only to save taxpayer money, but to compete with private and public agencies that offer similar services.
