Nearly a thousand Jefferson County Jobs at stake - ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports

Nearly a thousand Jefferson County Jobs at stake

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  • Friday, May 17 2013 11:17 PM EDT2013-05-18 03:17:33 GMT
    An inmate is on the loose in Etowah County.  The Sheriff's department says an inmate kitchen worker escaped the Etowah County Detention Center (ECDC) Friday morning.  Justin Wade Hopkins, 30, escaped from
    The Etowah County Sheriff's Office says an inmate kitchen worker escaped the Etowah County Detention Center Friday morning. 

About a thousand workers could be facing lay-offs in Jefferson County. Previous estimates indicated that about 700 jobs could be in jeopardy if state lawmakers do not pass a limited home rule bill. But today, county commissioners say 960 people could be put out of work. Mostly, jobs paid for out of the general fund.

Commissioner David Carrington said that everyone would be hurt by the cuts, "it's disappointing for our citizens in light of the services that will be lost. Of course, for 964 families it's going to be a lot more personal than that."

Even if home rule passes before the end of the regular session on Thursday, the county will still have to cut 30 million dollars from its budget to cover the final two months of the fiscal year. The commission will meet again on Friday, after the end of the legislative session.