Fort Meade Names Workers Being Laid Off

Four city employees, one who’d worked for Fort Meade since 1974, were laid off Friday so the City Commission could balance the budget.

Those losing their jobs were:

* Kenny Pollard, 58, superintendent of the city’s water plant. He was hired in December 1974 and was paid $46,094 annually.

* Charles Lane, 56, a lineman with the electric department. He was hired in April 1994 and was paid $45,595.

* Janice Helms, 53, manager of the city-owned mobile home park. She was hired in February 2001 and was paid $22,381.

* Richard Reeves, 51, who worked in the streets department. He was hired in September 2003 and was paid $23,193.

City Manager Fred Hilliard said the city will pay these employees through Oct. 1, but they won’t have to continue working after today.

He also said Harold Roberts, who works in the water and wastewater plant, will become supervisor of those operations.

Hilliard said he decided who would lose their jobs based on his observations in the year since he became city manager.

“I’ve been observing how they did their jobs and how things got done,” he said. “There were ways to consolidate and coordinate services. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it had to be done.

Longtime city employees said Friday they can’t recall another time when the city laid off employees.