So far this year, Santa Cruz County supervisors have voted a hard line and said “no” to any new hiring. But they relented Jan. 27 and gave County Schools Superintendent Alfredo Velasquez permission to replace an accounting specialist.

They approved the request because forest fees, revenue to the superintendent’s office from the federal Secure Rural Schools and Communities Self-Determination Act, will pay the entire salary.

“At one time this was a full-time permanent position under the general fund,” Velasquez told the supervisors. The accounting specialist performs payroll functions for several school districts and organizes the county spelling bee and Teacher of the Year program.

“When I made the 15 percent cut, I shifted the position to forest fees,” Velasquez said. But the employee left the county for another job at the end of 2009.

In December, the county asked each department to trim 15 percent of its budget to help ease a shortfall of some $3.1 million for the budget year that begins July 1, 2010.

Seven employees were laid off and nine other positions were shifted to grant funds.

This makes a position less secure for the employee, said Carlos Rivera, health and human resources director, in a recent study session. When the grant runs out the employee may not appeal the layoff.

“If the forest fees run out, the (accounting) position is gone?” asked Supervisor John Maynard.

“Yes,” Velasquez said. “But we have over a million in the bank in forest fees.”

Soon, most of those funds will be apportioned out to school districts in the county, he said.

“The money is in the bank,” said Supervisor Manuel Ruiz, who usually votes to hold the line on hiring.

Maynard asked to have the position designated “temporary full-time” before all three supervisors voted “yes” to lift the hiring freeze.

Positions paid out of the general fund are called “permanent,” but since August 2009, 15 of those county employees – mostly in maintenance and clerical – lost their jobs.

On Jan. 6, supervisors said “no” to letting the flood-control district hire an equipment operator. They voted 3-0 to table the request for six months, until the new fiscal year.

Funding for that job would have come from a property tax, not from the general fund, said Scott Altherr, director of public works.