Stockton Union Trying Hard to Prevent Truck Company Cut

City Manager Gordon Palmer said Tuesday that he is reconsidering his week-old proposal to close a firetruck company and to lay off 11 police officer trainees, negotiating with police and fire officials about alternative measures to reduce Stockton’s $23.5million deficit.

The City Council late Tuesday put off a hearing on the matter, affording Palmer time to review - and perhaps revise - his recommended package of spending cuts before the council acts on it, likely next week.
“There’s one more week to basically try to work it through,” Palmer said.
“They’re trying to find a way not to do the layoffs, and I’d just as soon not if we can avoid it,” he said.

Similarly, the Fire Department has sought to maintain Truck Co. 4. Palmer said last week that the elimination of the truck company - though not a station - could save $1.7 million.

Dave Macedo, president of Stockton Professional Firefighters Local 456, said Tuesday that he presented a proposal to Palmer and was lobbying council members for support.

“I’m expecting some kind of counterproposal back form them sometime today,” he said.
Macedo declined to detail his proposal but said, “It’s basically salary concessions and some concessions in uniform allowance.”

Firefighters anticipating a raise next year could defer that, he said, saving the city about $3.3 million.
Fire Chief Ron Hittle, who said last week that he had no alternative but to recommend the truck company’s elimination, said the union’s effort was encouraging and that the truck perhaps could be saved.
“We’re doing our best,” he said.

Mayor Ed Chavez said it is “way too early” to tell whether trainee layoffs or the truck company’s elimination could be avoided.
“We’re still working with some of the departments on coming up with alternatives, and we haven’t nailed those down,” he said. “I would say that we have to be open to all possibilities.”

In a separate budget action, the council voted Tuesday formally to adopt its voluntary buyout program, authorizing the administration to pay departing employees one week’s pay for each year of employment, up to $50,000.

More than 90 employees have applied for the buyout. Among them is Chavez’s wife, Barbara, who was hired in 1998. The mayor, who recused himself from Tuesday’s vote, said Barbara Chavez has yet to decide whether to take a buyout.

The city anticipated it could spend $3.2million on incentive pay through the buyout program but save $6.2million through June, though only $3.3million of that savings would benefit the general fund, the account in deficit, officials said. Officials expected annual savings in future budget years of as much as $12.4million.
West Coast 911 Story source - Written by Stockton Record