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County Officials Consider Hiring Freeze for Next Year
Solving the state's inability to adequately pay its bills to Knox County has triggered an idea that's been on the mind of Board Chairman Greg Bacon for quite some time now.

Bacon suggested to the Finance Committee Tuesday night a potential hiring freeze in 2013. He says this could soften the burden the county landfill takes on with the state's near $5-million dollars in debt.

However Bacon tells WGIL the freeze would exclude the Knox County Sheriffs and Public Safety departments.

"There's other counties out there that I know of that are cutting back to one patrolman a day, on every shift," Bacon said. "They just don't have the money to fund their patrols, (and) luckily we do. That would be the last thing I'd ever want to touch, would public safety."

"We just can't afford to let the landfill take the brunt (of the debt) forever, because it's not going to be there forever."

Bacon says there's no planned action to be taken up any time soon but he would like a decision before one is forced upon the committee and board.

According to Bacon, the state came through with salary reimbursements for March and April, but they're still waiting on last October and November's payments.
04 19 12 by Newsroom
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