Putnam mental-health agency wants county to forgive about $32,000 ...

Putnam Family and Community Services should not have to pay about $32,000 for increases in benefits for county workers who remain on the nonprofit agency's staff nearly a decade after the agency was privatized, according to some Putnam lawmakers. The nine-member Legislature has to vote to forgive the debt but, based on the reaction of legislators at a Health, Social, Educational and Environmental Committee meeting last week, it appears likely that it will. "They have taken on Putnam County employees, and all of these expenses have added up to about $1 million" since privatization in 1997, said Legislator Tony Hay, R-Southeast. "The $32,000 is a very small part of the county budget." County officials agreed during budget deliberations to reimburse PFCS $95,247 in 2007 for the higher compensation and fringe benefits it pays to county workers who remain on its staff.

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