MAHONING COUNTY Report suggests 2 raises in city police pact
The police officers' contract tends to be a template for other city unions.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A state fact-finder's report gives the city time to figure out how to pay for future police department raises, the finance director says.
The report suggests that police officers take a wage freeze in the first year of a three-year contract. Fact-finder Robert G. Stein then suggests officers receive 3-percent and 4-percent raises the following two years.
The report also recommends officers start making monthly contributions toward health insurance premiums, but not until December.
The suggested contributions -- 3 percent in the contract's second year and 7 percent in the third -- are less than the 10 percent management employees pay now. The report suggests union members start making the same copayments in June as management workers for items such as doctor visits and prescription drugs.
What it would cost city
The recommended raises for officers would cost the city $300,000 and $450,000 in the last two years of a deal, said Finance Director David Bozanich.
That would be difficult to manage for a city struggling to break even this year and coming off two straight deficits, he added. "It's a very difficult future burden on the city," Bozanich said.
The first-year wage freeze, however, gives the city about a year to generate the money for the raises if the numbers become part of a contract, he said.
Patrolman Kevin Bokesch, president of the Youngstown Police Association, couldn't be reached to comment.
City council and the police union each have until Friday to vote on the report. The union is to vote as soon as today. Council is expected to vote Thursday.
If both approve, items in the fact-finder's report become part of a contract. If either rejects the report, an arbitrator whose decision is binding will hear proposals by each side and pick one.
What sides sought
The city was seeking a wage freeze and 10-percent monthly health insurance contributions. The union was seeking 4-percent and 60-cent per hour raises and no health insurance contributions.
"As these things go, it could have been worse," Bozanich said.
The fact-finding report and possible arbitration decision have important future ramifications. The police officers' contract tends to be a template for other city unions. Six city unions have contracts that are expired or end within the next six months.
Raises would cost the city $1.2 million in the second year and $1.6 million in the third year if the fact finder's numbers in the police contract are applied to all city unions, Bozanich said.
Bozanich said he said hasn't decided whether to recommend that council adopt the report.
Richard Atkinson, R-3rd, council's finance committee chairman, said he had just seen the report and declined to comment.
Mayor George M. McKelvey, through his secretary, declined to comment. He publicly lobbied hard in recent months for officers to take a wage freeze. In return, he pledged to keep the police and fire departments intact.
The suggested lower monthly health insurance premium contribution for police than management might be a problem for council, said Law Director John McNally IV.
"We'd like all employees to have the same contributions and costs," McNally said.
rgsmith@vindy.com