UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - Prince George's County leaders will propose to eliminate 320 jobs in a effort to close the county's $132 million budget deficit, and public safety workers are among the hardest hit, according to a secret document obtained by ABC 7/NewsChannel 8

The preliminary numbers are spread out across county services but include 122 jobs in the police department, 48 positions in the fire and EMS department, 37 in corrections and 20 in the sheriff's office.

Union officials say all county residents, not just those who lose their jobs, will suffer.

"If we have a reduction in workforce, crime is going to go up," observed Dean Jones of the Fraternal Order of Police.

"It's going to have an impact on service delivery and the way we currently provide protection to the citizens," added Doug Bartholomew, president of the county's Professional Fire Fighters & Paramedics Association.

Robert Cease, president of the Deputy Sherriff's Association, says the county can't afford to lose 20 deputies: "We have about 40,000 open warrants in the county and we can't take the cuts and still provide the service that's needed," he said.

Other Proposed Cuts

Department	#
Co. Executive	3
Co. Council (Staff)	6
Office Central Services	15
Dept. Public Works & Trans.	13
Dept. Environment	10
Child and Family Services Dept.	2
Health Department	10

The plan, which wouldn't go into effect until July 1, is in addition to the two-week furloughs already ordered by county leaders.

County officials hope the $787 billion stimulus bill signed into law by President Obama will provide some money to the county. But the amount of any such disbursement remains unclear, as do how many positions it would save.

County Executive Jack Johnson won't comment publicly on the reduction-in-force proposals, and points out that the official budget won't be announced until March 16. Johnson had sought to collect more money by changing the way property taxes are collected, but that measure was killed this week in Annapolis. Layoffs may be the only way to close the gap, whether taxpayers like it or not.

"We're already in a bad state so if your laying off more police and fire workers, it's going to make us a state of devastation," said Yvette Murphy, a county resident.

According to Kenneth Watkins, "Something needs to be done. You've got the stimulus package, but it's not helping the small people."

The county executive will submit his budget the Monday after next. If the money can't be found, the layoffs will happen.

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