Anderson zoning, public works changes cut jobs, save $100,000

Three positions have been eliminated in the Anderson County Zoning and Public Works Department, and taxpayers can expect to save more than $100,000 each year, Mayor Terry Frank announced Monday.

It’s part of an office restructuring triggered by the economic downturn, Frank said.

A press release said a department planning position and geographic information system, or GIS, coordinator job have both been eliminated. The planning work will now be handled by the East Tennessee Development District, working under a contract with the county. The mayor’s office and property assessor’s office will share a GIS coordinator, “reinstating shared services that have existed in the past.”

That change was made “to achieve cost savings and avoid duplication of services,” the release said.

“I’m very pleased to be able to work with our property assessor and his accomplished GIS coordinator to achieve the same services at a reduced cost to the taxpayer,” Frank said. “Likewise, we have a history of working with the East Tennessee Development District, and I look forward to working together with them again. Their expertise will be an enormous asset to our county at a savings to our office.”

The third change involved combining the clerk job with code enforcement, eliminating one position.

Frank said the workload in the office is down due to the economic downturn, and building permits have fallen to about 14 percent of what they were in 2005, she said.

“Balancing the services needed with the cost of operations, I made the decision to restructure the office,” she said.

The press release said the office restructuring saved $102,000.

Frank said the office needs could be re-assessed if economic growth picks up.