MOUNT VERNON — “What will it be like in a climate where there is less money and more clients?”
This was the question posed by Matthew Kurtz, director of the Knox County Job & Family Services, at his weekly meeting with the Knox County Commissioners on Monday morning.
Kurtz was referring to how upcoming budget cuts would affect how KCJFS would be able to serve its clients in the coming years.
“We have to find a way to survive as public officials in a time when there’s less money,” he said. “And you don’t do that by putting your feet up on the desk and doing business as usual.
“There’s not much change in next year’s budget. We’re coming to the end of our budget year. But the one after that is anybody’s guess. We had a meeting two weeks ago with our directors’ association. They had the director of the Ohio Job & Family Services, who spent all morning with us going over with us all their findings of needed improvements in technology and the automation of things.
“So it’s being looked at closely how we can do our jobs more effectively and how we can use the Internet and phone interviews and things like that,” he continued. “Now, some of those changes need legislation and some need waivers from the federal government on certain things. But looking ahead, we are looking at how we can cooperate and coordinate these changes coming up.”
In the afternoon session, the commissioners heard from Rumpke Inc., a company involved in trash transportation and recycling, to name just a few things. The company is interested in taking over the operation of the county’s recycling center. The center is operated by Sims Brothers, whose contract with the county runs out April 30, 2011. Sims has said it does not want to renew the contract and continue operating the recycling center.
