GIRARD Union leader, mayor debate proposed levy

The general fund will be overspent by about $420,000.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- The president of the city firefighters union says that identifying a levy as a safety-service issue would "stereotype" police and firefighters as causing the city's debt.
Phil Cretella Jr., president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 1220, told city council Monday that it should be presented to voters as a capital improvements levy.
Mayor James J. Melfi has suggested that council place a five-year, 3.5-mill levy on the November ballot to help the city out of state-imposed fiscal emergency that it has been in since August 2001. Such a levy would generate about $420,000 annually.
Cretella, who said he was speaking for himself and not the union, questioned the administration and lawmakers about why the city shouldn't go to the voters and identify the levy with the cause of the debt -- capital expenses.
"It's a debt we didn't cause," he pointed out. "If they vote it down, then we really have a problem," Cretella asserted.
Melfi responded, "If we are in the future going to maintain current services, we'll need more money."
Cretella said he can't determine if a levy designated for capital improvements, as opposed to a safety forces issue, would have a better chance of being passed.
He did add that firefighters will "publicly fight" against the levy if it's a safety forces issue.
Melfi said after the meeting that failure of a levy would result in about five firefighters' being laid off.
Wages from general fund
Police and firefighters' wages are paid out of the general fund, 17.8 percent of which goes to pay off bonds created by capital improvements.
Councilman Joseph Christopher, D-at-large, told Cretella that if he had concerns about the city's general fund, he should have not accepted pay raises.
Union workers received a 3.5 percent raise in 2001, 3.25 percent in 2002 and 3.5 percent this year.
Cretella countered that the raises were negotiated and approved in "good faith."
He noted that firefighters delayed their raise in 2002. The delay plus giving up their clothing allowance that year saved the city about $40,000.
Firefighters received the 3.25 percent due them in 2002, in addition to the 3.5 percent, this year.
During a council finance committee meeting before the regular council session, Auditor Sam Zirafi said that the general fund will be overspent by about $420,000.
He pointed out, though, that the self-insured city received only $50,000 in medical claims during May, compared with about $100,000 monthly before May.
Melfi stressed the need for the levy. "It's got to be done, the sooner the better," he added.
yovich@vindy.com