Despite facing major deficits and worker layoffs, the city of Sacramento is on the verge of approving nearly $15 million in additional pay for firefighters and paramedics over the next two years.
The proposed labor contracts – approved by the firefighters union last week – is expected to be approved without opposition at City Council this afternoon.
It is on the council’s consent calendar at 2 p.m. at council chambers, 915 I St.
Under the proposed two-year contract, firefighters will receive a 10.3 percent pay increase.
Firefighters working paramedic shifts would see a bigger pay increase – a 7.5 percent equity raise on top of the two 5 percent increases.
The annual senior-level base pay for firefighters without paramedic certification would increase from $61,986 to $68,316 over the course of the agreement.
The senior-level base pay for firefighters working paramedic shifts would jump from $67,968 to $80,784.
Officials set the cost of the wage increases at $14.9 million.
Despite the city’s mounting debt, the two leading candidates for mayor – Mayor Heather Fargo and developer Kevin Johnson – gave the pay hikes their blessing.
The city is facing a $30 million shortfall this year and a projected $58 million deficit in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.
Assistant City Manager Gus Vina said the city had planned for and budgeted for the increase, and, as a result, the contract “doesn’t add a problem to the budget.”
The two 5 percent hikes would keep firefighters on pace with city police officers, Vina said. If approved, both contracts would expire in 2010.
City officials initially called the 5 percent raises a “cost of living” increase, but later conceded the 5 percent increases would exceed the rate at which the consumer price index is expected to grow.
Vina added that the boost for paramedics was needed. Firefighter paramedics working in ambulances respond to the bulk of response calls.”We are 22 percent behind the other jurisdictions in the region,” he said.
About 100 of the city’s 582 firefighter positions are full-time paramedics. He added that while there are no vacancies now, in the past the city had problems recruiting and retaining paramedics.
Fargo said she supports the increase.
“I can see why it may not make sense to some people,” she said. “I do think it’s fair and I do think it’s affordable. We budgeted a 5 percent (annual) increase.”
She said that, if there are cuts to be made, the pain should be shared by all departments, not just the one whose contract expired during a difficult financial period.
Johnson said the proposed increase is “great news for city firefighters.”
He said firefighters had faced uncertain times when they went months without a contract in 2004 and early 2005. “This correction is long overdue,” Johnson said in an e-mail to The Bee.
That dispute went to an arbitrator. The result of the 2004 arbitration was firefighters were awarded 5 percent raises in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Rich Schmiedt, president of Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522, said the unit was “happy with the agreement, considering the economic times.”
The wage package was criticized by a local taxpayers group.
“That just sounds like its way too much money in today’s situation,” said Bob Blymer, executive director of the Sacramento County Taxpayers League. “I don’t know how the City Council can pass something like that. While they are laying off people in other departments, the firefighters are getting a 5 percent raise two years in a row.”
Blymer noted that it is tough for politicians to rein in public safety budgets.
In today’s public safety survey of seven mayoral candidates, six listed it either as the No. 1 or No. 2 priority. Bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, for instance, said he would lay off 800 city employees across the board – except for police and fire – to address the city budget deficit.
WestCoast 911 source: Written by Ed Fletcher / Sacramento Bee
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