by Despite the fact that county commissioners have not yet voted to abolish the Tarrant County Department of Human Services, staff members have been informed that they would be let off in September.
The county organization that provides rent and utilities assistance to individuals experiencing financial difficulties is Human Services. According to two commissioners, the agency is being targeted during the next budget negotiations this summer.
The budget for next year has not yet been openly discussed by commissioners. Typically, they discuss it in August and give their approval in September. However, KERA News was able to receive a June 25 termination letter that was delivered to a Department of Human Services employee.
According to the memo, this is official notice that, from September 30, 2025, your employment with Tarrant County will no longer be supported. As a result, your employment with Tarrant County will terminate on September 30, 2025, at the conclusion of business hours.
September 30 marks the end of the county’s current fiscal year, which allocated roughly $4 million for the department.
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In a June 22 TikTok post, Democratic County Commissioner Alisa Simmons stated that all department employees have been informed that they will be losing their jobs.
When KERA News asked Tarrant County why workers were informed of their termination prior to a vote to abolish their department, the county did not reply.
Additionally, Tarrant County did not respond to a query regarding the number of impacted employees. She told KERA News this week that Lisa Martin, the department’s director who retired in May, had 25 staff members.
The memo provides information on how to apply for unemployment benefits and urges workers to apply for other jobs in the county.
We are grateful for your commitment and contributions over your time with Tarrant County, and we hope your future pursuits are filled with success. The memo says.
Approximately 4,600 utility assistance vouchers, 1,000 food and hygiene vouchers, and 350 rent vouchers were distributed by the Department of Human Services for the fiscal year 2024, according to county statistics.
As of Monday morning, new service requests were not being accepted on the department’s website.
Republican Commissioner Manny Ramirez told KERA News last week that the county might better serve its residents with financial aid services by collaborating with neighborhood charities.
According to Ramirez, there should be no impact on services. If anything, switching to this paradigm will improve service.
According to him, the department’s operating expenses exceed the help funds it distributes. In fiscal year 2024, the county disbursed approximately $1 million in aid, while incurring personnel expenses of roughly $2.5 million, according to Ramirez.
That’s not a fair comparison, according to Mary Almendarez, who served as a deputy head of the Department of Human Services until her retirement in 2014. Workers do more than just distribute assistance. According to her, they also collaborate with clients to determine their eligibility and develop case plans for them.
She stated that none of that is taken into account when determining how much money Tarrant County spends on aid. I don’t think Commissioner Ramirez is aware that all of that time is reflected in staff time.
Finding a substitute for the countywide Department of Human Services will be challenging because nonprofit organizations often concentrate on a local area or demographic, according to Almendarez. According to her, staff members ought to have been given the opportunity to resolve whatever issues commissioners may have had with the organization.
This year, layoffs are occurring at other county agencies besides the Department of Human Services. Following the loss of federal grant funding for four programs, Tarrant County Public Health lay off sixty-three employees.
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