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Sunday, November 24, 2024 |
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Middletown to cut 26 first responders |
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Iron Man
MUSA Resident Joined: Sep 25 2013 Status: Offline Points: 112 |
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Very good post! The same cuts will obviously have to be made under Picard and Bronson. Unfortunately though, they'll be damaging, unplanned, reactionary cuts. Unlike the responsible, prudent fiscal responsibility we enjoyed under Councilman Laubach, the best City Councilmen Middletown has had for decades. |
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over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
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Did Josh's Tea Party views cost him relection?
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Iron Man
MUSA Resident Joined: Sep 25 2013 Status: Offline Points: 112 |
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Iron Man
MUSA Resident Joined: Sep 25 2013 Status: Offline Points: 112 |
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Looking out for the taxpayers best interests in the face of powerful, out of control special interests didn't help him. |
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409
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Mar 27 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1014 |
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AGREE !! To my memory (not great at times), the last time we had someone of this caliber was Ray Fening in the late 60's or early 70's.
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Every morning is the dawn of a new error...
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Iron Man
MUSA Resident Joined: Sep 25 2013 Status: Offline Points: 112 |
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Josh just presented an alternate budget that can save Middletown. |
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middie83
MUSA Immigrant Joined: Dec 10 2010 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 33 |
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VietVet: I could not agree with you more, Judy and Mulligan did promise that they would not cut. Even though I have called Larry out on this recently and he admittedly denies that he ever said this. It angers me that they had my members go door to door and tell residents this and then pulled back on their word.
Just so everyone is clear, we have taken 0% pay increases, we have increased our health care payments, we have increased our pension contributions. We did spend countless work hours doing a staffing model study and looking at alternatives that showed the model that we have now is the most cost efficient. We have made concessions and continue to look and see what we can do. However, I can't imagine many people in the FD or anyone on here being able to swallow something such as a 20% pay cut on top of all that we have already given. I did ask Larry what about supplementing the golf course? His response was "that is next." REALLY!! We are going to look at the golf course AFTER layoffs to PUBLIC SAFETY!! The city manager continues to try and put the blame on the union. The mayor points his finger at the union. What have they done to turn the city around??? They cheer and say their not dying and have so much new business but then cry poor. Which is it?? |
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Chris Klug
Vice President Middletown Firefighters Local 336 middieff165@gmail.com |
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Charge Of The Light Brigade, Rode The 600 (AKA AK union v. 2.0)
Going down swinging. |
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Bottom line....we need fire and police services despite the issues discussed here concerning the union mentality, the debate between the union saying they are giving up pay, paying more into their benefits packages, etc. and the city saying the union will not give up anything in negotiations. Who knows which side is telling it the way it really is?
Gotta have the services, Unfortunately, they are expensive and take most of the general fund budget money. Who knows how it would have faired if, in the past 4 or 5 decades ago, the city and the unions would have both been reasonable at the negotiation table. Didn't happen. Either the city negotiators were too weak and gave in to every demand, or the union was too stubborn and insistent on having it their own way. However it went, we all know now that the situation has hit the fan and each side will pay a price. Did the city see the high dollar costs coming each year as they pulled more and more from the general fund? Sure they did. Did they address the situation years ago and work with the union to lessen the impact........nope. Shouldn't surprise anyone. The city hasn't been good money-managers for decades. They have spent revenue on unnecessary pet projects and have totally ignored placing the basics on top of the priority list. Golf courses, bike paths, downtown revitalization, fancy lights for the S. Main St group, buying buildings with no plans other than to "mothball" them, money lending to select groups, you name it, they have wasted millions that should have gone to sewers, streets, infrastructure and the basics, It was ignored for decades....now we shall pay the price. A budget ain't rocket science.... 1. Collect money coming in. Total the money 2. Pay all bills first- a must do 3. Total the money left 4. Place money into funds that address the basics-street/sewer/police/fire services 5. Any remaining money? Place in emergency fund 6. DO NOT DEVIATE AND REMOVE MONEY FOR PET PROJECTS. 7. WHILE DOING STEP 1 THRU STEP 6.........BUILD REVENUE THROUGH ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT BY ESTABLISHING ADDITIONAL COMPANIES IN CITY COLLECTING CORPORATE AND INCOME TAXES ALONG THE WAY. MAKE IT IRRESISTABLE FOR BUSINESSES TO LOCATE HERE, FILLING EMPTY BUILDINGS AND CREATING MORE JOBS WITH PAYROLL/BUSINESS TAXES. AS THE REVENUE BUILDS AND REACHES A CERTAIN LEVEL, THEN LOOK AT SOME EXTRAS. LEAN AND MEAN UNTIL THERE IS MORE MONEY. BACK OFF THE IDEA TO TAX EVERYONE LIVING IN THE CITY TO DEATH AS YOUR ONLY IDEA FOR A SOURCE OF REVENUE. NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE IN A CITY WITH NO OFFERINGS AND HIGH TAXES. |
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I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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Paul Nagy
MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 11 2009 Status: Offline Points: 384 |
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If everyone would look closely at what Josh Laubach has proposed, what Vet has pointed out and what Chis Klug has observed we will find most of our solutions to our public safety and financial problems in the city of Middletown. The answers are not in the proposals of city council and the lunatic administration that has brought this city down.
I want to add some more things to consider. Some of which I have been proposing for years. 1. Josh Laubach ought to be written up in Profiles of Courage. He fits all of the criteria. I'm proud of him. 2. I have never found the fire and police unions in this city to be unreasonable. They have always been tough but not unreasonable. Their services have been excellent. However, as I have pointed out in the past they are short sighted. They need to start thinking long-term. Nothing stays the same. Everything changes. So do our economies. The city needs to establish a bonus program that is used only to supplement public safety employees. When finances are low we would dip into the bonus account instead of annual raises. We need to have only the number of safety employees that it takes to serve a city like Middletown both population wise and square mileage wise. Then do like Josh Laubach says and operate from a balanced budget. Both the city and the employees would share any gravy or sacrifes to be made. Also, the police and Fire employees (most of whom live outside of Middletown need to quit going door to door art election time. That is interfering with municipal elections and I believe a good case could be made for interfering with local elections. (Note what Chris Klug said about them being asked to go door to door ( asked by whom?). Where is our city attorney on all of this type of unethical behavior. 3. Viet Vet's comments on this page along with Josh's budget proposal point out enough items that would reduce many of our financial problems and at least put us into a balanced budget. We all support our public employees but we all need to be reasonable. Cutting some administrative staff on all levels is imperative. We would then make adjustments to those positioned salaries and hire less staff. I hate to see anyone lose a job but many were hired only to support a weak and failing administration. 4. We must all be outraged by the audacity and deceit of our city manager. She is always using public safety funds and threatening public safety when she has to cover up some of her outrageous spending sprees and incompetence in keeping city finances under control. She should resign or be fired immediately and city leaders need to show some leadership and remove her instead o alllowing our city to go down and down and down. Its just plain stupid. Now is the time. 5. Our Mayor needs to step down now. I ran against him years ago because I sized him up as a very nice, humble guy but who was not a leader and couldn't sell our city strongly enough. I was right. Now, we see him doing and saying all kinds of things that show lack of leadership. 6. Dan Picard its time you step up to the plateand show some leadership with or without your notes and join Josh and work for the citizens of this city and turn it around. If you have the courage to do so you also will be a profile in courage . This is your time. You now have the public safety unions behind you and you could turn the tables and take the city in a new direction withour MMF or the city leaders. You have made a good first step.You would get the public support. Please do so. 7. I disagree with those who think things are over. A new day is coming. A new industrial revolution is in the very near futurefor our country thanks to 3d printing. Get ready and don't miss the boat. Finally, we need to recognize middletownusa and those who post on it for their long term commitment to the city of Middletown. May their tribe increase. We don't have to agree with each other about everything. But we all need to work, pray and answer with the best that is in us to make our city and society better. Paul Nagy |
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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Josh Laubach is heading in the right direction….however….I believe these cuts should also include City Hall. |
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ktf1179
MUSA Citizen Joined: Mar 19 2012 Status: Offline Points: 518 |
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Josh Laubach for Mayor
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Bill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Nov 04 2009 Status: Offline Points: 710 |
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What were Josh's proposals? Some of us don't watch every council meeting.
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Perplexed
MUSA Citizen Joined: Apr 22 2009 Status: Offline Points: 315 |
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Very well stated, Paul. Wishing your wife and you the very best. Be well.
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Bill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Nov 04 2009 Status: Offline Points: 710 |
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I see an article about this on the Journal website. Sounds fine but unrealistic. |
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over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
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I agree with you VIVIAN, didn't here a WORD about cuts in administration in the city building. If Judy thinks our city is worth saving then step up to the plate and do some hard cuts in salaries. P.G. again we all know Judy should be gone,but we also know our "paper" mayor doesn't have the B-lls to do it. Because he likes things the way they are.I have never seen someone like him who can hide his head in the sand and ignore the rest of the city like it doesn't exist.Poor excuse of a mayor. IMO Well, Josh stick around in 2 years you may be Mayor.
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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Posted: 8:02 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013
Council member’s proposal: Cut police, fire salariesBy Rick McCrabb Staff Writer MIDDLETOWN — On the night City Council was expected to approve the city’s 2014 budget, an out-going member threw a curveball.
Josh Laubach, who wasn’t re-elected to his second term earlier this month, proposed what he called a “sustainable alternative” budget at Tuesday night’s council meeting. Laubach told council that based on increased expenditures and reduced revenue, the city could be bankrupt by 2016. He said it was time the city got off the fiscal “roller coaster.” Based on projects, he said, the city would have an ending balance of negative $1.7 million by 2015, and that number would jump to $4.9 million by 2016. He said under the current trajectory, cost of the city’s “most valuable services,” police and fire, will increase up to $26 million a year in the next decade and that would consume nearly 95 percent of today’s general fund revenues. He said a moderate tax levy and economic growth would not be enough to offset the rise in personnel costs. Laubach said the city needs to balance its budget annually, and maintain public safety within a 65-68 percent window of total general fund expenditures. Based on his alternative proposed budget, Laubach said the city could avoid layoffs to the police and fire departments, add five patrol officer positions, add two full-time and five part-time positions in the fire department and maintain a 15-percent balance for long-term stability. To reach this goal, he said the average cost of a police officer would have to drop from $107,000 to $92,000 and the average cost of a fire fighter from $104,000 to $87,000. The average cost of all other city employees would remain at $83,000, he said. The unions that represent those in public safety would have to rework their contracts. City Manager Judy Gilleland had said earlier the unions refused to renegotiate the contracts. Vice mayor Dan Picard, a vocal supporter of public safety, which he credited for his re-election, doubted whether Middletown could attract police and fire fighters to work in the city if the wages were significantly lower than surrounding communities. Laubach argued they’d work in Middletown if they knew the city was on solid financial footing. Mayor Larry Mulligan said he thought the budget proposal was “worth pursuing.” Laubach then was critical of Picard for supporting public safety, but never proposing ways to financially support the police and fire departments. By the end of the 2 1/2-hour meeting, Picard and Laubach, who sit next to each other, rarely made eye contact. Council approved the 2014 budget, and said it would consider Laubach’s proposal and discuss further at the next meeting, Dec. 3. Picard tried unsuccessfully to get the overtime money from the police and fire departments removed from the budget and he wanted Gilleland to reapply for public safety grants, but no one on council would second his motions. The city is considering eliminating as many as 22 public safety positions, 15 from the fire department and seven from the police department, by 2015. City officials say budget projections won’t allow the city to sustain its workforce, and since 70 percent of the general fund is earmarked to public safety, that’s where the majority of cuts must come. Cris Kelly, president of the FOP Local 36, and Chris Klug, vice president of IAFF Local 336, have said they don’t want the cuts to come out of the public safety budget. Gilleland said she’d like to reduce the size of the city’s fire department from 79 positions to 64 by the end of 2014, which would include nine firefighters and six grant-funded positions. No positions can be lost until the grant terminates in September 2014, she said. She’d also like for the city to reduce the size of the police department by seven, the four police officers whose salaries are funded through grants and not fill the three vacant positions: two dispatchers and one corrections officer. She said $2.25 million needs to be reduced in general fund expenditures over the next two to three years and those cuts are set to be split proportionally among police, fire and non-public safety. |
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Pardon the interruption but:
FACT; SR5 dealt with this issue and was defeated, now the city is doing it. FACT- Economics 101, businesses model budgets weekly, the model is correct. FACT: Fairfield has volunteers that fight fires, lowered numbers to run EMT; fact, Middletown has 65% senior citizen ratio, but ball is in fire fighter court, make concessions or out of job. FACT: No Dan Picard, shill of fire union, they won't go elsewhere, no place to go. They also want the pecking order for advancement. They lose such when they move to another city, unless chief takes chief, Captain takes Captain, that rarely occurs. FACT- Outsourcing administrative functions is appropriate, and a cost savor. FACT- cuts should extend through administrative functions, including court, management, clerks, et al. FACT- Dora and Dan will not have the majority to have impact saving the cuts. FACT- city hired ED personnel that did not deliver. FACT- city gave Atrium $5 Mm for infrastructure that did not deliver jobs as stated. FACT- AK move to West Chester hurt tax revenues, city is not recovering. FACT- attempts to raise taxes will come, but they will fai, school levy litmus test. FACT- negotiate and bargain saves jobs, fighting windmills and losing jobs has no benefit. Ask AK union. .
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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"The unions that represent those in public safety would have to rework their contracts. City Manager Judy Gilleland had said earlier the unions refused to renegotiate the contracts"
"Gilleland said she’d like to reduce the size of the city’s fire department from 79 positions to 64 by the end of 2014, which would include nine firefighters and six grant-funded positions. No positions can be lost until the grant terminates in September 2014, she said. She’d also like for the city to reduce the size of the police department by seven, the four police officers whose salaries are funded through grants and not fill the three vacant positions: two dispatchers and one corrections officer. She said $2.25 million needs to be reduced in general fund expenditures over the next two to three years and those cuts are set to be split proportionally among police, fire and non-public safety." SO, IT WOULD APPEAR GILLELAND HAS IT OUT FOR THE POLICE AND FIRE UNIONS FOR NOT SEEING IT HER WAY IN NEGOTIATIONS. THEN, PROMPTLY SINGLES OUT THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPTS USING CUTS TO "GET EVEN" PERHAPS? MAYBE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HER VINDICTIVE CHILDISH BEHAVIOR? SHE DIDN'T GET THAT NICKNAME OF THE "QUEEN" FOR NOTHING DID SHE? SHE'S PROBABLY BEEN GIVEN OTHER NAMES THAT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE TO MENTION HERE. I NOTICED SHE HAS YET TO MENTION ANY CUTS, INCLUDING HER GIVING UP SOME OF HER 6 FIGURE SALARY TO HELP THE CAUSE. HOW ABOUT SOME SACRIFICE AT THE CITY BUILDING FOR PEOPLE IN THE UPPER POSITIONS? IF SHE IS TOUTING SACRIFICE WITH THE SAFETY PERSONNEL SHE SHOULD SET AN EXAMPLE AND TAKE A HIT HERSELF. OTHERWISE, SHE HAS NO CREDIBILITY. BUT....WHAT ELSE IS NEW. CONCERNING LAUBACH'S SUGGESTIONS.......SHOULDN'T THE FINANCE DIRECTOR BEEN KEEPING UP WITH THIS DILEMMA AND ROUTINELY INFORMING THE COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER AND OTHERS ALL ALONG? THE FINANCIAL DIRECTOR WORKS WITH THE MONEY FLOW EVERY DAY. WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN ALL THIS TIME? DID IT TAKE A COUNCILMEMBER TO BRING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE OTHERS. SHOULDN'T THE OTHER COUNCILMEMBERS BEEN ON TOP OF THIS ALL ALONG? ISN'T THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES OF CITY MONEY ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES FOR CITY LEADERSHIP? WHAT HAVE THE COUNCIL AND CITY BUILDING LEADERS BEEN DOING WHEN READING THE YEARLY BUDGET PROJECTIONS, WITH CONCENTRATION ON MONEY TAKEN IN VERSUS MONEY PAID OUT? THEY TALKED ABOUT DECLINING REVENUE, BUT STOPPED SHORT OF ACTUALLY ACTING ON SOLUTIONS TO REMEMDY THE SITUATION (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GRANTS,FED LOANS, HUD MONEY, ETC) HANDOUTS IS THEIR SOLUTION TO REVENUE GENERATION. TOTALLY CLUELESS. TOTALLY INEPT. WHERE IS THE COMMON SENSE IN MONEY HANDLING? LAUBACH TALKS ABOUT THE STATE OF THE CITY FINANCES IN THE FUTURE. NONE OF THE OTHERS HAS GIVEN IT A THOUGHT APPARENTLY......UNTIL THIS MEETING. AND THEN THERE'S MULLIGAN THE MAYOR, MUMBLING COMMENTS THAT MEAN NOTHING. HE CUTS RIBBONS AND READS PROCLAMATIONS REAL WELL. HE'S A SMILING FACE FOR THE CITY........BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, HE IS WITHOUT SUBSTANCE NOR REALLY CONTRIBUTES. AGREE.....MAKE LAUBACH THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL MEETINGS AND DIRECTION. SEND LAWRENCE BACK TO S. MAIN WITH HIS BUDDIES. |
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I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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HdMechanical
MUSA Resident Joined: Jun 23 2013 Status: Offline Points: 57 |
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http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/local/layoffs-may-follow-sb-5-defeat-local-officials-s-1/nNKyw/
With the passage of SB5 the city would have had options. But now they will cut jobs, hopefully care packages were made up for the fellow union members who will be cut. After all you have had 2 years to see the writing on the wall. Pay concessions across the board maintains current staffing. The next time your union tells you something , research it for yourselves before voting........CommonSense applied to the SB5 vote would have been a game changer today.. Regardless of union contracts , when the city has no money there will be cuts in staffing.........
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HdMechanical
MUSA Resident Joined: Jun 23 2013 Status: Offline Points: 57 |
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Really defeat of SB5 made the decisions easier..........Cut jobs to balance budgets. Gary Sheets, Butler County human resources director, said SB 5 was introduced to give the management side more authority and restrict certain bargaining issues. Sheets said there is jealousy between certain groups; for instance, some have step increases that others don’t have. “Well, when I begin to hear people who are not in bargaining units say they wish they were in a bargaining unit, that concerns me,” Sheets said. Binding arbitration Changes to binding arbitration would affect all departments, said Kettering City Manager Mark Schwieterman. Instead of an independent, third-party arbitrator deciding the issues, SB 5 gives that task to elected representatives — city councils and city commissions. “That changes the process and the final resolution,” Schwieterman said. Many local council members and city managers have long complained that the current binding arbitration favors unions, driving up contract costs. Schwieterman said SB 5’s elimination of third-party binding arbitration would increase control at the local level. “The reliance on the third party for that decision has taken the final decision away from our elected officials.” |
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Correction o multiple fronts:FACT- Bill Becker ran this financial model and stated openly and repeatedly (and exactly) what Mr. Laubach said when Becker was city manager as far back as early 2000 period.FACT- Paragraph 4- Gilleland: "She said $2.25 million needs to be reduced in general fund expenditures over the next two to three years and those cuts are set to be split proportionally among police, fire and non-public safety."Non public safety means administrative staff.
FACT- Becker states 25% is required to run city 90 days; Laubach states he is fine with 15%, or about 45 days surplus funding. High risk in 15% set aside fund. Disagree with JL on analysis. FACTS are friends, not enemies.
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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Acclaro |
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Perplexed
MUSA Citizen Joined: Apr 22 2009 Status: Offline Points: 315 |
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I agree, Vivian.
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