Northampton County Executive John Brown has stated that he considers the county employee to be its most valuable asset. But a recent report to Northampton County Council reveals that there are 268 vacant positions throughout the county, which accounts for 12.4 percent of the entire 2,162-person workforce.

This report was generated at the request of Hayden Phillips, who ran on a theme of limited government. He has previously stated that if a position goes unfilled for a period of time, it should just be eliminated.

The practice of keeping vacant slots unfilled gives municipal officials like Brown more money for projects that were never budgeted.

Where are the vacancies?

Most of them, 133.15 to be exact, are in Human Services. They include caseworkers for Children and Youth, Area Agency on Aging, Mental Health and at Gracedale. In Northampton County, more than 18,000 people receive human services of one kind or another. These include neglected and abused children.

Yet the report reveals there are 16 vacancies in Children and Youth, which does include caseworker positions. At the same time, there's a full complement in the Department of Community and Economic Development.

Last year, Corrections Officer Tom Davis insisted at several meetings that corrections officer vacancies are going unfilled. Corrections is still down 29.5 positions, and that includes 22 corrections officer jobs.

Despite several complaints from the court, there are still eight vacancies in the Civil Division. There are four unfilled jobs in the Criminal Division and four open jobs in the Recorder of Deeds.

Custodial and maintenance staffs have been decimated. Janitors are down 9.8 jobs, including four full-time cleaners in maintenance, seven jobs remain unfilled.