Fred Sennet is Right on.......

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   A word to the wise 

 By: Fred Sennet

City employees may have to forego raises for awhile 
Middletown City firemen apparently haven't gotten the message. We are heading to a deep recession which some economists say mirrors the way the Great Depression began. While many of us haven’t felt the full impact yet, reports are that many municipalities are soon or already feeling the pain. 
City Treasurer Russell Carolus recently reported that income taxes will take a major hit and that, of course, means that the city’s General Fund will have a shortfall. It looks like belt tightening will be in order. The recent contract with the firemen provides them with a 10 percent salary increase over the three years of the new contract, with 1 percent coming retroactively. There also will be changes in squad and apparatus pay, certification pay, clothing/uniform allowance and step-up pay eligibility (no estimate of cost of those items was included in The Journal’s report on the increases.) 
Councilman Bill Becker, former police chief and city manager as well as onetime police union president, said it was tough to approve the contract when he’s seeing neighbors losing their jobs or their houses. “The system is broken and cities like us are going to hit the wall (financially),” he said. 
The police budget will be $11.37 million while the fire budget will be $9.1 million, with part of the funding coming through the public safety levy voters approved in November 2007. Budgets for the two departments, according to Carolus, will be 70 percent of the total city budget. 
No doubt there will be little left for running the city and likely there won’t be any increases for other city employees. 
After hearing reports from the fire and police chiefs, Becker said changes need to be made in the way their departments are funding. “My challenge to both chiefs is to find other ways to do business,” he said. Becker also said that it is doubtful if voters will be able to afford another safety levy in the foreseeable future. 
It’s my belief that both the firemen and policemen—who deserve the best we can provide—could curry favor with the taxpayers who pay their salaries by turning down any increases for 2009 with the caveat that if the economy improves and we have a short recession that pay increases be negotiated at a later date. 
And if I were still serving on City Council, I would suggest to my fellow Council members that they show leadership by not accepting a salary during 2009 or until the economy recovers if the firemen and policemen agree to forgo their pay raises. 
By the time 2009 rolls around, the cost of gas, food, clothing and other items likely will be down to match the salaries of those who still have a job or own a business in the community. 
We certainly need and appreciate fire and police protection but we also have to recognize that in a time of crisis we all need to make sacrifices. 