BUDGET CRUNCH: 37 Jobs Getting Cut at Schuylkill County Courthouse

Schuylkill County government appears to be facing a similar situation at the end of this year as it has for the last several. There’s simply not enough money coming in to keep the government, as it’s been, afloat.

There are no firm numbers being put out by Schuylkill County Commissioners right now as to just how big the deficit for 2025 is – it would be safe to assume the number has 8 figures ($10M+) – but we learned today that cuts in expenses are certain.

During Thursday’s Commissioners Work Session meeting, Chairman Larry Padora said that the Courthouse is cutting 37 jobs.

Padora tells The Canary that these jobs are currently open, meaning no one has filled them, and that they’ve been open for some time.

“It’s any position that’s been open for an extended amount of time,” Padora says.

Padora says that one row officer at the Courthouse has agreed to eliminate one full-time position in their office.

“It was an open position that was budgeted but they agreed to take it off their budget,” he adds. “It wasn’t filled yet. Most of these are unfilled positions that are figured into their budget year after year after year.”

All indications are the budget crunch is real.

“We have to look at ways to tighten our belt here,” Padora says. “The budget isn’t great.”

Facing a massive deficit this time of year certainly isn’t a new thing at Schuylkill County Courthouse. The Canary has been reporting on this situation for several years in a row.

In years past, however, the County has plugged any shortfall with money gained from COVID stimulus funds dished out by the federal government, chalking it up as “lost revenue,” which is a permitted expense granted liberally by the US Dept. of Treasury.

Budget shortfalls in recent years have been in the 8-figure range, so it’s safe to assume this year’s is no different.

This year, however, there aren’t nearly the same amount of COVID funds remaining.

Recently, Mark Morgan, of Susquehanna Accounting & Consulting Solutions, who has been in charge of accounting the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for Schuylkill County, said there’s approximately $8.5 million remaining to spend. And it has to be spent now.

Padora says he’s not in favor of using one-time revenue sources like that COVID money to plug budget shortfalls.

The other problems are that expenses are increasing and revenue is decreasing.

One area he spotlighted was funding for 9-1-1 services.

“Everyone thought we were going to get this huge influx of new funding (from a surcharge on cell phones) and they changed the whole formula, so we went from getting like $2 million a year to getting like $186,000. So now, that funding has to come from somewhere,” Padora says. “We have to make up those shortfalls.”

Another expense dogging County government is healthcare, which is likely to increase dramatically once again, as it has in years past.

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