KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs announced furloughs Friday for some county employees as COVID-19 closures continue to bear down on the economy.
The mayor said the furloughs will begin in May for a yet-to-be determined number of employees in the fee offices and every executive branch department.
"It's the hardest thing I've had to do as a mayor," Jacobs said Friday. "We held off as long as we could and do not take this lightly because we know it affects your livelihoods. I expect these furloughs to be temporary and hope that everyone will be back to work very soon."
According to the news release from Knox County, furloughed employees will continue to receive health coverage and other benefits from Knox County in addition to up to $275 per week from the State of Tennessee and $600 from the federal government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relieve and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding for a total of up $875 per week while unemployed.
Mayor Jacobs said the employees will technically be classified as taking an eight-week furlough, but will continue to work and be paid through May 8.
Jacobs was visibly upset and emotional when he made the announcement.
"None of this is fair. Not to the people of Knox County, not to the people who work for Knox County, not to their families. I hate the terms 'COVID-19,' 'social distancing,' non-essential, essential and all of it. They've become part of our lexicon, and I hate it," he said. "It's brutal. Many people that work here in Knox County I know personally. It's impacting my friends, not just here in the county, but also my family members. It's very, very difficult for everyone."
Jacobs said it is his intent and the intent of the county to bring everyone back to work, though furlough extensions remain a possibility.
“We are facing this challenge directly and making decisions that will help us continue providing the services our residents depend on,” said Mayor Jacobs. “Though this certainly isn’t something we wanted to do, we need to watch our spending during these uncertain times.”
More than 300,000 Tennesseans have filed for unemployment in the past week. Roughly 22 million Americans sought jobless benefits in the past month — easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record.
On Thursday, city and county mayors in Tennessee's four largest metropolitan areas announced they formed a task force aimed at reopening Tennessee's economy in the coming month.
The task force is compromised of business leaders and health care professionals appointed jointly by each metro area's city and county mayors. Meetings begin next week, and they said they will publicly announce their initial discussions, findings, and any action steps they will take.