Trustees point to deficit in 42 layoffs
Township trustees want the unions
to reopen their contracts to possibly reduce the layoff numbers.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN — Nine firefighters, 13 road department employees and seven civilian workers in the police department are among township workers now without a job.
After a 90-minute executive session at a regular meeting Wednesday, trustees announced the layoffs of 30 full-time and 12 part-time employees.
The part-time employees include the township’s nine volunteer firefighters who are paid for calls to which they respond.
Township officials say the cuts were necessary because of a projected $3.4 million deficit. Voters last November rejected a $4.1 million general operating levy that would have generated about $4.1 million annually.
Trustees Chairwoman Robyn Gallitto said the board had two options. One was to balance the budget immediately by laying off 76 people.
“We decided that was too drastic and would decimate the township,” she said.
The other option was to balance the budget in steps. One step is the layoffs of the 30 full-time and 12 part-time employees.
“The board is asking and letters are being sent to all union officials to reopen the contracts in the next 90 days” to possibly reduce the layoff numbers, Gallitto said.
The cost savings garnered through the reopening of those contracts will be used in the respective departments where the employees made the changes.
Another levy attempt is another option. Jim Rosa, a certified public accountant with Hill Barth & King of the township, has volunteered to work on a levy committee to be established to advise trustees.
“The levy committee should be community-driven and business-driven,” Gallitto said.
Committee members will make recommendations regarding what type of levy and when it should be sought, she said.
The layoffs bring the 2008 appropriation to $17.7 million. The spending plan passed in December for 2008 was $19.6 million. If sufficient cost-saving and revenue-generating methods, including a levy, are realized to balance the budget, more cuts won’t be needed.
Gallitto said the township is using its carry-over balance for cash flow this year and plans to borrow money next year to get through the first quarter of 2009 because the township doesn’t receive tax revenue for the first quarter of the year.
Those affected by the layoffs are on paid administrative leave during the time required for layoff notification.
For the fire and road departments, that’s two weeks. For members of the Association of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees, whose members work in several departments, it’s one week.
Harry Wolfe, president of the firefighters union, said members are willing to reopen their contract.
“That would have happened last week if the board would have lived up to their end of the bargain,” he said.
At first, Wolfe said he was told by township officials that 20 firefighters would be laid off. Then the number dropped to nine and then to seven.
The union couldn’t negotiate without definite numbers, he said.
“They’re putting the community at risk, and they’re putting us at risk,” Wolfe added.
Because of the layoffs and immediate administrative leave, the South Avenue fire station closed Wednesday night because one of the two men working there was laid off.
Fire Chief James Dorman said the department may be able to keep it open some days. By contract, minimum manning calls for 10 firefighters on duty during one shift and nine on duty during the other two shifts. Before the layoffs, the township had 39 full-time firefighters.
When asked how the loss of firefighters and station closure will affect the department’s estimated four-minute response time, Dorman said to ask him in a year.
“It’s got to change,” he said.
A few firefighters asked if trustees plan to pursue a proposal their union made to begin a township ambulance service as a revenue generator.
Gallitto said that’s something that will be explored.
One of the firefighters pointed out that they need paramedics to do it, and the layoff plan includes most of the department’s paramedics.