Kansas state employees prepare for furloughs
PITTSBURG, Kan. — As groundskeeper Tim Taylor mowed part of the more than 600-acre campus at Pittsburg State University (PSU) Friday morning, he wasn’t thinking about his weekend plans.
He was worrying about an approaching noon announcement as to whether he could return to work on Monday. Taylor is one of PSU’s approximately 1,000 employees on payroll this summer, and one of (thousands) statewide, who faced the possibility of furloughs because of a projected budget shortfall for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
By noon, Taylor had his answer: He would work just Monday and Wednesday. Others in his department will work just Tuesday and Thursday. They all will be furloughed on Friday. In total, the university announced at noon that 280 employees are on the list, as well as 250 student employees.
Elsewhere across the region, from Kansas Bureau of Investigation to county extension offices, other state employees were likewise worried. Just how many have received notice of furloughs is not yet clear.
The House has approved a proposed budget that would leave the state with a $406 million deficit. GOP lawmakers are sharply divided over raising taxes — something Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback reduced when he took office — to fill the rest of the gap. They were in the 106th day of an annual session set for 90 days.
The impasse has driven the lawmakers into overtime, and state workers deemed “nonessential” — a term PSU President Steve Scott does not like, as he said he believes all employees are essential — will be furloughed at 12:01 a.m. Sunday if a budget is not signed by midnight Saturday, according to the Department of Administration’s website.
That’s because it’s the first day of the new pay period for the new fiscal year.
PSU is the largest employer in Pittsburg, where numerous state offices serving Crawford, Cherokee, Labette, Bourbon, and Neosho counties are headquartered, and one of the largest employers in Southeast Kansas.
PSU alerted its employees and the media on Wednesday afternoon that they faced the possibility of furloughs and the university would work to develop its essential listing. University officials shared that list with staff shortly before noon, having used a set of parameters provided by the Kansas Board of Regents — the governing body for the state’s universities and community colleges. The priority was to provide direct instruction and support of students.
“Should furloughs take effect, the university will only be allowed to pay these essential employees. It will not be authorized to pay any other employees,” Scott said.
Summer courses, CARES registration events, summer camps, campus safety and construction will not be affected.
“Our faculty will still teach in the classroom and our students will have access to limited support services,” Scott said. “Unfortunately, should this furlough go into effect, other daily campus operations will experience significant disruption.”
Support service employees involved in administration, technology, custodial, landscape, building trades, athletics, and campus recreation are included in the list of furloughed employees, as are members of the President’s and Provost’s Councils. For example, 55 percent of the employees in the President’s Division and 56 percent in the Administrative and Finance Division will be furloughed.
PSU biology major Catherine Geiger is among the 250 students to be furloughed. She has worked at the reference desk at Axe Library for two years this August, and is paid for 35 to 38 hours per week.
Thursday night, she was worried about the possibility of a furlough, as were her two roommates, who also work on campus. Friday, they received word they were on the list, and now are worried about housing expenses and how they’ll pay them.
“It’s my only source of income, so it will be a struggle,” she said. “I have a little savings, but it worries me.”
“Hopefully they will figure things out soon.”
Axe Library Randy Roberts said it will necessitate staying open Monday through Friday, but closing on Saturday and Sunday.
“At various times of the day, we will have two to three members of our staff maintaining only the most basic public services so many services will be delayed or postponed and some areas of the library, such as Special Collections and Government Documents, will not be staffed every day,” he said.
Kansas Department of Transportation
Project engineer Chris Pross, based in the District 4, Area 4 office just outside of Pittsburg, said Friday morning that the possibility of furloughs had been discussed internally among senior management and a plan was developed. It was to be discussed with staff this afternoon.
Pross estimated there are 100 to 150 individuals on payroll in Crawford, Cherokee, Labette and Neosho counties. They include maintenance, construction inspectors, secretarial and administrative positions.
He said he was unsure how many would be impacted.
“We hope it doesn’t end up happening. We hope to maintain as much level of service to taxpayers as possible,” he said.
Kansas Bureau of Investigation
Statewide spokesperson Mark Malick said Friday morning that it’s a waiting game, but that employees were forewarned and a tentative plan is in place.
“I can’t speak in detail. The final plan will come out if and when we receive news that the furloughs will go into effect,” he said. “What I can say right now is that the law enforcement, commissioned officers, crime scene people that are needed to respond to the crimes we respond to will not be affected, meaning we’ll have the ability to respond and provide services. But there is a chance that some of our support staff that we rely on for things investigatively and processing reports, things of nature, may be affected. The final list hasn’t been determined, but each agency in the state was asked to develop a furlough plan, and the KBI has developed that. Our director has given everyone ample notice of what could occur and what they should be prepared for in the event it does occur,” Malick said.
“It’s really planning for the unexpected, planning for the unknown and hoping it doesn’t occur.”
Kansas Department of Health & Environment
Spokesperson Sarah Bellty said Friday that all 31 Southeast Kansas employees of KDHE would be furloughed. The department operates the Surface Mining Section in Pittsburg.
11th Judicial District
Court services spokesperson Mac Young said his office, based in Pittsburg, was spared, because of a budget approved and signed by Brownback on Thursday for the state’s judicial branch.
Restorative Justice Authority
According to spokesperson Angie Hadley, the office, based in Pittsburg, is state mandated, but is county funded, so state furloughs will not apply.
Department of Children and Families
A person who answered the phone at the regional office, based in Pittsburg, said she was not authorized to speak to the media and directed inquiries to the Topeka office. No one in that office was available Friday afternoon to take the call.
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism
According to spokesperson Ron Kaufman, the department was still finalizing its plan about noon on Friday; he couldn’t share details yet.
“If there is no resolution to the budget negotiations in a few hours, I’ll probably be able to share more information later this afternoon,” he said, “after our employees are informed about the situation.”
Kansas Highway Patrol
Calls were not immediately returned to the Globe Friday from the Kansas Highway Patrol office in Chanute, which oversees this region, and the dispatcher who answered said she was not authorized to provide information to the media.
Cherokee County and Crawford County Extension Services
In Columbus, Dale Helwig, the office director, said he would know Friday afternoon “what the situation would be.”
“If furloughs go into effect, it’s my understanding the agents will be furloughed,” he said.
As more information becomes available, the Globe will continue to update this story.
Stefanoni writes for the Joplin (Mo.) Globe.