Fire union gives back to help city

In a time of tightening budgets and ballooning unemployment figures, the Maricopa Fire Department’s local union has decided to make several concessions to provide economic relief to the city of Maricopa.

The fire union, Professional Fire Fighters of Maricopa Local 4561, and its 50 members voted unanimously last week to forego an automatic 2.5 percent raise written into their contracts, give back five of the 11 paid holidays they receive and a $50 per firefighter uniform allowance received.

“We want to help the city in any way we can,” said union president Dan Ashton.

The combined moves are expected to save roughly 5 percent of the money budgeted for firefighter salaries, which consumes roughly $6.5 million of the department’s $8 million budget.

The remaining monies are for what Chief Wade Brannon called fixed expenses, such as utilities and fuel costs.

“The biggest single expense of any fire department is personnel expenses, and even a small percentage of that expense has a great impact on the department,” Brannon said.

Union officials have been part of the ongoing budgeting process the past several weeks, seeing firsthand the cuts the city must make in order to maintain a balanced budget.

“This is a very exciting time for the union because we, as an executive board, are able to bring back information of what exactly is being discussed for cuts,” Ashton said.

He added the process has given union officials a better understanding of the budget process.

It is the second consecutive year the union has decided to forgo their 2.5 percent increase in pay and give back paid holidays. Last year, the union did so in the midst of the city cutting positions and looking at possible furloughs for other employees, a proposition that never came to fruition.

However, this year the union decided to take the proposal a step further, giving back their uniform allowance. It isn’t clear what the budget will look like for the city’s fiscal year, which begins in June, but City Manager Kevin Evans said he doesn’t expect the budget to grow.

“This move by the union is certainly appreciated; it is the second year in a row they have stepped up without being asked to do so,” Evans added.

Brannon echoed the appreciation. “The union has been a fantastic partner throughout the budget process, and this move shows their dedication to the city of Maricopa,” Brannon said.