EFR hopes union will play along
December 15, 2009
By J.B. Wogan
By J.B. Wogan
The Eastside Fire & Rescue Board of Directors passed a 2010 budget Dec. 8 that hinges on extracting $241,000 in concessions from the firefighter’s union.
Sammamish’s two representatives, Mayor Don Gerend and City Councilman Lee Fellinge, voted against the budget because it left too much unresolved.
“Lee and I dissented because we felt it wasn’t in balance and we thought that’s what the council would like us to do,” Gerend said at the Sammamish City Council meeting later that same night.
At the time of the meeting, the EFR was still in negotiations with the firefighters’ union to find ways of driving down labor costs for 2010. When the board voted 6-2 in favor of the budget, it did so with the understanding that the EFR administration would need to tap $300,000 in reserve funds and hope the labor union would help make up the remaining deficit.
Gerend and Fellinge were the only board members who expressed reservations about passing the budget.
“I felt awkward being the only one asking questions” Gerend said, adding that as a newcomer filling in for board regular Jack Barry, he had to get up to speed on complex, time-consuming fire protection issues in too short a time (about two days). He said he wished the board packet, which contained a breakout of the budget line items and cost comparisons from 2008 and 2009, had an explanatory section to give the numbers some context.
“You pretty much are taking them on faith,” Gerend said.
EFR is an interlocal fire agency that covers Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, Carnation, May Valley, Preston, Tiger Mountain and Wilderness Rim. Three cities and two King County Fire Districts have seats on EFR’s eight-person policy-making board.
In November, the board passed the revenue side of its budget, which came out to about $20.5 million. The 2010 budget shows no increase to the partners, though the expense budget grew by about $482,000. A variety of redistribution measures, including shrinking the equipment replacement fund and dipping into reserve funds, made it possible not to raise costs to partners.
Fellinge, who was sitting in on his last EFR meeting before stepping down as a councilman and Sammamish representative on fire issues, said the budget needed more dramatic reforms.
“It’s not a balanced budget, of course. We’re using reserves,” Fellinge said. “I just don’t see any changes in the continuing cost structure that say we’re not going to see the same problems in 2011.”
EFR Director Dee Williamson (North Bend) rejected Fellinge’s characterization that the budget was unbalanced, noting that this situation is what a reserve fund is for.
Gerend, as he scrutinized the budget, was concerned in particular with the item that called for EFR to spend $395,000 on overtime pay. If the agency pulls it off, that would mean a roughly 34 percent reduction from the $600,000 the agency has spent on average prior to 2009.
“It’s tough. It’s a difficult goal. We believe we can bring it down really close to this,” Deputy Chief Jeff Griffin said.
Griffin noted that new hires and a promotion of one lieutenant to floating captain had resulted in some cost savings in overtime pay. He said the agency was likely to spend less than $500,000 in 2009.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
Budget will hold line on costs to Sammamish
The Eastside Fire & Rescue Board of Directors passed a 2010 budget Dec. 8 that hinges on extracting $241,000 in concessions from the firefighter’s union.
Sammamish’s two representatives, Mayor Don Gerend and City Councilman Lee Fellinge, voted against the budget because it left too much unresolved.
“Lee and I dissented because we felt it wasn’t in balance and we thought that’s what the council would like us to do,” Gerend said at the Sammamish City Council meeting later that same night.
At the time of the meeting, the EFR was still in negotiations with the firefighters’ union to find ways of driving down labor costs for 2010. When the board voted 6-2 in favor of the budget, it did so with the understanding that the EFR administration would need to tap $300,000 in reserve funds and hope the labor union would help make up the remaining deficit.
Gerend and Fellinge were the only board members who expressed reservations about passing the budget.
“I felt awkward being the only one asking questions” Gerend said, adding that as a newcomer filling in for board regular Jack Barry, he had to get up to speed on complex, time-consuming fire protection issues in too short a time (about two days). He said he wished the board packet, which contained a breakout of the budget line items and cost comparisons from 2008 and 2009, had an explanatory section to give the numbers some context.
“You pretty much are taking them on faith,” Gerend said.
EFR is an interlocal fire agency that covers Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, Carnation, May Valley, Preston, Tiger Mountain and Wilderness Rim. Three cities and two King County Fire Districts have seats on EFR’s eight-person policy-making board.
In November, the board passed the revenue side of its budget, which came out to about $20.5 million. The 2010 budget shows no increase to the partners, though the expense budget grew by about $482,000. A variety of redistribution measures, including shrinking the equipment replacement fund and dipping into reserve funds, made it possible not to raise costs to partners.
Fellinge, who was sitting in on his last EFR meeting before stepping down as a councilman and Sammamish representative on fire issues, said the budget needed more dramatic reforms.
“It’s not a balanced budget, of course. We’re using reserves,” Fellinge said. “I just don’t see any changes in the continuing cost structure that say we’re not going to see the same problems in 2011.”
EFR Director Dee Williamson (North Bend) rejected Fellinge’s characterization that the budget was unbalanced, noting that this situation is what a reserve fund is for.
Gerend, as he scrutinized the budget, was concerned in particular with the item that called for EFR to spend $395,000 on overtime pay. If the agency pulls it off, that would mean a roughly 34 percent reduction from the $600,000 the agency has spent on average prior to 2009.
“It’s tough. It’s a difficult goal. We believe we can bring it down really close to this,” Deputy Chief Jeff Griffin said.
Griffin noted that new hires and a promotion of one lieutenant to floating captain had resulted in some cost savings in overtime pay. He said the agency was likely to spend less than $500,000 in 2009.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
Other Stories of Interest: Eastside Fire & Rescue
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