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Early reports on county government staff cuts positive

Lycoming County Commissioner Rick Mirabito recently asked for hard numbers to show county government is on track to cut 20 positions by the end of 2018.

He was issued those numbers last week and they are very good for the first quarter of the year.

Although the goal has not yet been reached, the report from the county’s human resources was encouraging

It showed four positions had been eliminated from county government since the end of 2018.

Another 11 positions that have gone unfilled for an extended period of time have been eliminated.

So, in reality, 15 positions have effectively been eliminated from future county government funding unless there is a public move to restore the positions.

That’s a pretty strong start on the goal of 20 that the commissioners set. It is the sort of belt-tightening that will be necessary for the county commissioners to balance future budgets without tax increases or further draining of a dwindling operating surplus.

And that has to be the goal for future Lycoming County government budgets.

While Mirabito made the request, all three commissioners seem to share an understanding that budgets now have to be formulated with a new level of discipline in the future. The proof is in the execution, but the early returns are encouraging.

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