Warren seeking more savings

By Ed Runyan

The city learned federal stimulus money will pay the salary of no more than three police officers.

WARREN — Despite 45 more city workers’ agreeing to pay and benefits concessions, talks resume next week to avoid the layoff of an additional eight police officers.

On Thursday, the city’s nonunion management group, which represents 22 upper-level managers such as Safety-Service Director Doug Franklin, agreed to concessions to save the city about $25,000 in 2009.

Among the changes to health-care coverage were deductible amounts of $100 per year for single-person policies and $200 per year for family policies, said Brian Massucci, Warren personnel supervisor.

In the past, there was no annual deductible or payroll deduction for Warren employees’ health care.

On Friday, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2501, which represents 25 middle-level managers, such as superintendents of the water and waste departments, reached a tentative agreement with the city.

If ratified by the membership, the agreement will save the city $118,000 this year, said Gary Cicero, Warren human resources director.

Members of Warren’s firefighters union approved concessions last week that will save the city about $470,000 in 2009.

The concessions included a pay reduction of 2.5 percent, elimination of the city’s 6 percent payment of the firefighters’ pension, changes in health-care deductibles and other fringe benefits.

Franklin said this week’s agreements are similar in every way possible to the agreement approved by firefighters except for items such as clothing allowances that are not applicable to management employees.

Next week, the city will have more talks with the unions representing the city’s 34 police patrol officers and 23 ranking officers such as sergeants, lieutenants and captains.

The city needs to secure $234,000 in savings this year from those workers or else an additional eight of them will be laid off, Cicero said.

The city already has laid off 24 police officers since Jan. 1 — including four more June 21 — to cope with shrinking revenue and rising costs.

Meanwhile, Cicero said Friday the city has learned that its funding through the federal government’s Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Recovery Program (stimulus money) will be limited to three or fewer officers.

The city had hoped its application would bring back up to 10 officers who have been laid off and retain an additional 20 positions.

The city also has also laid off 15 firefighters (four of them being retirements not replaced) and 20 other employees such as road and parks workers.

Cicero said the city will seek elimination of the police officers’ 10 percent pension pickup and health-care changes but no reduction in pay.

runyan@vindy.com