WILDWOOD — Commissioner Al Brannen is pleased to announce that with the cooperation of the Fireman’s Mutual Benevolent Association Local 50, the city has reached a collective bargaining contract that will preserve the present number of firefighters while still adhering to budgetary guidelines.
The new contract will save taxpayers $228,769 for each new firefighter hired over the typical 25-year career of a firefighter. Because the new pay scale will be 15 steps instead of the current five, a new firefighter will not reach top pay until his 15th year.
The new contract approved by the FMBA and scheduled for approval on June 9 by the Board of Commissioners signifies that layoffs for firefighters are averted for 2010.
Similarly, contract negotiations are in their early stages with the Fraternal Order of Police. There will be no immediate layoffs of police officers this summer; with the support of the FOP, Chief Long has limited holiday buy-back pay in 2010, saving enough money to retain all four officers on the current layoff list.
“As Commissioners, we have struggled with difficult decisions to bring in a new budget for 2010 with a tax decrease despite a decline in revenue and a 3 percent decline in the value of our tax base,” Commissioner Brannen said.
“And while budget concerns continue to exist,” he continued, “I am confident that progress can be made to reduce the costs of public safety without sacrificing jobs or compromising services to the public.”
