Jamestown City Council
Jamestown City Council voted down a contract with the Jamestown Professional Firefighters Association in a vote of 5 to 2 at its voting session Monday.
The contract covered January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2024 and would have included hiring four new firefighters in addition to pay increases each year and increases in healthcare plans. Health insurance for new hires would have ended at the Federal Medicare eligible age.
Mayor Eddie Sundquist said adding four firefighters would cost the city an additional $1.23 million dollars over four years,
“However, with the removal of the removal of the lifetime healthcare, for every new officer we hire within the city, we will save over $2 million per firefighter we hire each year. It is a significant amount. It also runs the second ambulance service, another revenue generating source for the city.”
Council member at large Kim Ecklund clarified that the first year the city would see the $2 million healthcare savings would be 2061.
Council member at large Jeff Russell commended Sundquist and his team for negotiating the end of lifetime healthcare, “But like Kim said, that’s a very long term savings and we’re looking at a cost of $1.2 million. Well, my concern is that we’ll be back here in two or three years. We’ll have a room full of firefighters because we’re going to be laying people off. That’s my concern and I don’t want to see that happen.”
Council members Brent Sheldon, Marie Carrubba, Andrew Faulkner, Randy Daversa, and Jeff Russell were the no votes on the resolution. Council member at large Kim Ecklund recused herself from the vote as her husband is a retired firefighter and she would benefit financially from the contract.
Sundquist said he was deeply disappointment with council’s decision, saying the city had a chance to save money with negotiating the end to lifetime healthcare for retirees which is a huge legacy cost, “Tonight the council has signified that they want no part of that. They’d rather continue going like we always do which is mostly like to be to arbitration, which is unfortunate. Because if we’ve negotiated without having to go to arbitration, all of the police and fire contracts which were six or more years behind and to be all under current contracts is a really incredible thing in the first two-three years.”
Sundquist said the additional cost of adding the four firefighters could be initially covered by American Rescue Plan funds and he understands there could be a potential for lay-offs down the line, “But if you have an opportunity to hire four firefighters to run a second ambulance that will generate anywhere from $200,000 to $400,000 a year in additional calls, you’re never going to complete make even with public safety. And that’s something we have to recognize. It’s a service that we pay for through our taxes for our citizens and we’re never going to come out even in this regard.”
City Council did unanimously approve a contract with the Kendall Club Police Benevolent Association. That contract covers January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2024. The contract also includes wage increases of 2.5% for 2021 through 2023, and a 2.75% increase in 2024. There also are increases for prescription costs and health insurance plans
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