The city of Lincoln may soon be dealing with one of it's largest employers shutting their doors.

Governor Pat Quinn announced earlier this month a plan to close down 9 state facilities, which would result in the loss of nearly two-thousand jobs. One of those facilities is the Logan County Correctional Center. Lincoln Mayor Keith Snyder explains the facility in Logan County is not getting shut down because of financial reasons, but according to the Department of Corrections Director, because the jobs are easily transferable to other facilities.

[audio:logancorrectionalclosing4.mp3]A Word From Mayor Snyder[/audio]

Mayor Snyder explains he has been a part of a job loss in the past, and says he sympathizes with the families of the workers. And while the facility is not slated to officially shut its doors until the end of the year, the Mayor says he can already see the effects of just the talks of this happening.

[audio:logancorrectionalclosing5.mp3]A Word From Mayor Snyder[/audio]

One other facility that is set to close as well is a facility in Jacksonville, which employs about 100 people fewer than the Logan County Correctional Center. Mayor Snyder points to a study that was done on the town there to find out what the economic impact would be, he says he fears the same impact may come to Lincoln if the facility does in fact,  get shut down.

[audio:logancorrectionalclosing6.mp3]A Word From Mayor Snyder[/audio]

The Mayor and Lincolnites alike have are being pro-active to fight the closing of the facility. Mayor Snyder says their is a petition that can be signed, there is also an organized rally that will take place in the middle of October and he also encourages residents to contact the Governor's office and voice their opinions.

Should the Logan County Correctional Facility close, it would put over 500 people out of work, which would almost definitely raise Logan County's current 8.4% unemployment rate, and may even impact other counties throughout central Illinois.