Hamilton County Board of Commissioners members said during their Jan. 8 legislative meeting that the board has not approved any staffing reductions at the Department of Job and Family Services and asked county leadership to improve how information is shared with agency leaders and staff.

Commissioner Reese raised the issue after receiving a call from Raquel Howard Smith, identified in the transcript as a CEO whose organization’s staff believed cuts were already decided. "I just wanna make clear, I know that we have not voted on anything," Reese said, urging administrator Jeff Ludo to reach out to clarify the situation and avoid panic among employees.

County Administrator Jeff Ludo told the board that JFS had submitted a list of proposed reductions "tens of millions of dollars," and that the board planned to discuss potential changes at a staff meeting on Jan. 13. He said reductions affecting external providers would be held until the full board could consider them.

Several commissioners pushed for a single point of contact and a formal communication policy so information about possible reductions would come from a designated leadership channel. "Who makes, who's going to communicate with these organizations?" one commissioner asked, arguing that scattered messages had left staff fearful of losing jobs. Ludo agreed to coordinate a clearer approach and provide follow-up.

The board did not take formal action on JFS staffing at the Jan. 8 session. Commissioners encouraged agency directors and residents to monitor the county website for updates and said they would review detailed proposals and any potential adjustments at the scheduled staff meeting.

Next steps: the board will review the proposed JFS reductions at the Jan. 13 staff meeting and expects administrator Ludo to provide a communication plan to limit misinformation circulating to staff and providers.