(Lawrenceville, Ga., Dec. 7, 2009) - Gwinnett County continued to trim its workforce today with the implementation of a reduction in force in the Tax Assessor's Office. The elimination of 12 staff positions comes as the result of a new business strategy to outsource both commercial real estate and personal property assessments. Property subject to personal property tax includes planes, boats, inventory, business equipment and manufactured homes.

Earlier this year, departments modified their business plans in order to improve operations and bring the 2009 budget and five-year financial plan into balance. Staff reductions played a key role in most of these new plans. Even with the millage rate increase adopted by the Board of Commissioners last week, the county is still moving forward with implementing the new business models.

The Tax Assessor's Office will save $310,000 in personnel services as a result of outsourcing commercial and personal property assessments. Two companies were awarded contracts in November. Tyler Technologies, Inc. and Tax Management Associates, Inc. will provide services beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

The County is on track to eliminate a total of more than 250 jobs this year. The count includes more than 200 employees who retired under an incentive offer in September and employees from several other departments where reductions in force were implemented earlier this year.

"Today's reduction in workforce follows the County's overall plan to gain efficiencies and save money in back office departments that will allow us to focus resources on core mission areas such as public safety," said County Administrator Glenn Stephens. "It's unfortunate that departments have had to cut positions in order to create these cost savings, but the hard truth is that employees are our largest expense. Like all businesses right now, County government is facing unprecedented economic challenges that have forced us to make difficult decisions about service and staffing levels across the entire organization. However, I am certain that we will emerge from these times a stronger, leaner government."