MOUNT VERNON — The Knox County Commissioners met Monday with the heads of two departments for updates. They also opened bids which they solicited on behalf of county engineer Jim Henry for bridge-building projects on several county roads.
Matthew Kurtz, director of the Department of Job & Family Services, provided an overview of his department with the commissioners before moving into executive session to discuss potential future developments. Kurtz said that from the 2009 fiscal year (June 2008 through May 2009) to the following fiscal year, the DJFS weathered cuts of $475,000 in the funding it receives from the state. Kurtz said $400,000 of those cuts were in public assistance; the remaining $75,000 was in children’s services.
Within the last couple of fiscal years, the department has trimmed seven workers, Kurtz said. Two were supervisors, four were clerical and one was a caseworker for adult protective services, an area where the state has eliminated almost all funding. Three of the jobs went by attrition; the other four were laid off.
