MIDDLEPORT — Layoffs have been avoided at the Meigs County Department of Job and Family Services because of effective planning when funding cuts became apparent, and because retiring employees have not been replaced.

County Commissioners said Thursday they do not expect across-the-board layoffs or reductions in staff as the result of state budget cuts that have created staffing shortages at agencies in surrounding counties.

At Wednesday’s regular meeting of Meigs County Commissioners, Judge L. Scott Powell, who works closely with the agency’s children’s services division, and commissioners discussed layoffs that have taken place at other DJFS agencies and created reductions in services.

Powell said he has been providing some appointed court work in Gallia County, where staff cuts have been significant, and said the county is facing cuts in services as a result.

So far, no staff reductions have taken place at the Meigs County agency. Powell said those who have run the agency in the past year, including former Director Michael L. Swisher and interim director Barbara Chapman, who replaced him, and the current Director Chris Shank, have been prudent in managing the agency in light of anticipated funding cuts that came to being with the state budget approved earlier this month.

A statewide reduction in available funds from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program, a major funding source for DJFS social services has made it necessary to reduce services in Gallia and Athens counties, and necessitated layoffs.

Commissioner Michael Bartrum said Wednesday the relatively easy transition in Meigs County to the new budget formula is also a credit to his predecessor, former Commissioner Jim Sheets, and Board President Mick Davenport, who worked closely with DJFS administrators to minimize staff reductions and cuts in service. Bartrum said commissioners and DJFS staff were able to formulate an effective plan to transition into a reduced budget without sacrificing services to the public.

“Everyone knew it was going to happen, so we had time to plan ahead,” Davenport said. “The situation has created a huge problem for some counties, but Meigs has been able to avoid most of the problems.”

According to Davenport, counties received additional TANF money in some budget cycles for additional services, and while some counties hired additional DJFS staff to work those programs, the Meigs County DJFS contracted with other agencies for those services. So, when funding for the programs ended, the contracts were discontinued, but not DJFS staff were laid off. In other counties, people lost their jobs when the funding was cut.

The agency has also taken advantage of attrition to save money, according to Davenport. The Meigs County DJFS has lost several staff members to retirement or resignation, and those staff members were not replaced.