The state of North Carolina is on a diet, and a host of departmental jobs and programs are in danger of wasting away.
The $14.3 billion state budget, passed Friday by the state Legislature, will result in the elimination of at least 1,835 full-time positions across the state and will force state agencies to end programs and delay projects. Gov. Mike Easley is expected to sign the plan this week.
The most acute effects have been felt in the Department of Correction, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture. In addition, all state employees must forgo a raise this year, as a result of the budget.
"Overall, state government [employees] feel like we deserve a raise," said Lavonda VanBenthuysen, spokesperson for the Office of State Personnel. "However, everybody is aware of the budget crisis too. Some people might be okay if it can keep people from losing their jobs."
The Department of Correction had to eliminate 846 positions, but because 476 new jobs will be created for new prisons, it will experience a net loss of only 366 positions, department spokesperson Pam Walker said. However, the new facilities will not be completed until late spring.
Correctional officers were the hardest hit by the cutbacks, along with chaplains, sergeants and some parole officers.
Two prisons will be closed, and the department's two residential boot camps have suspended operations. The Intensive Motivational Program of Alternative Correctional Treatment programs served offenders in the age range of 18 to 30.
Community services will also feel the pinch; substance abuse counseling will be shifted and focused upon people near the ends of their prison terms, Walker said.
"We don't anticipate having any problem being able to support our core mission, which is public safety," she said.
The Durham Correctional Center is in the process of reviewing what changes it may have to make in the face of the new budget, Superintendent David Cates said. The facility has not had to cut any jobs.
The Department of Health and Human Services is already facing around 40 job cuts. The budget also included a provision that the department has to save $4.1 million, which will come from additional cuts in personnel, department spokesperson Debbie Crane said. Those cuts should be specified in the next two to three weeks, she said.
Though she lamented the funding cuts, Crane noted that the department did see funding increases for two vital programs: the mental health trust fund and Health Choice, which provides insurance for low-income children whose parents make too much to receive Medicaid.
Crane highlighted the budget's provision for a two-week paid vacation for all state employees, which would equate to a 4 percent one-time pay increase for each employee. She also praised the governor for his support of the department.
"When an economic downturn comes, the people we serve are even more in need of our services. We are committed to maintaining that safety net," she said.
The state health lab is not cutting any services or personnel, as it received federal funds directed toward dealing with public health and bioterrorism.
The Department of Agriculture lost 67 1/2 positions, but only about seven represent real job losses, Assistant Commissioner David Smith said.
But budget cuts also mean lost resources, especially in terms of research projects, he said. And the department may have to increase its response time to complaints on food issues.
In addition, the budget cuts may place a strain on the department's new biosecurity lab��currently under construction��which will handle exotic foreign animal diseases.
"Once the construction is finished, we've got to find the money to operate this thing, to staff it, to put the power on," he said. "It's just going to be a struggle."
Across the board, state department officials stressed their uncertainty regarding the exact changes they will have to make in light of the new state budget. And the specter of mid-year cuts made many even more apprehensive.
"If the governor asks for further cuts... it's going to get nasty," Smith said.
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