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84 city jobs top $100,000

Posted on Thu, Jul. 16, 2009

The top six of the 84 six-figure city salaries are earned by (top, l-r) City Manager Patrick Salerno, $195,708; City Attorney Elizabeth Hernandez, $194,192; Asst. City Manager Maria Jimenez, $160,785; (above, l-r) Asst. City Manager Dona Spain, $160,785; Police Chief Richard Naue, $155,239; and Fire Chief Walter Reed, $154,970.

1/3 of Fire Dept. gets six-figure salaries

By Sebastian del Marmol
sdelmarmol@cggazette.com

While City Manager Pat Salerno scrambles to cut costs, personnel and increase taxes and fees to make up for budget deficits in the millions, one area that seems to be draining city coffers as much, if not more, than ever, is wages of the city’s top administrators.

In total, 84 city employees, or more than 10 percent of the projected 827 employee workforce, will have a starting salary of more than $100,000. At a time when the city is preaching fiscal conservancy and watchful spending, employees in virtually every department are still making out like bandits.

Six-figure city salaries

Despite the financial crisis the city confronts, Coral Gables plans to pay $100,000-plus salaries, exclusive of pension and healthcare benefits, to 10 percent of its workforce. Here is the ranking for all municipal employees who will garner a six-figure salary in the proposed budget:

1. City Manager Patrick Salerno
$195,708

2. City Attorney Elizabeth Hernandez $194,192

3. Asst. City Manager Maria Jimenez $160,785*

4. Asst. City Manager Dona Spain $160,785*

5. Police Chief Richard Naue $155,239

6. Fire Chief Walter Reed $154,970

7. Finance Director Don Nelson $154,957

8. Public Works Director Alberto Delgado $140,547

9. Public Service Director Dan Keys $140,547

10. Asst. Police Chief (currently vacant) $134,143

11. Deputy Fire Chief Marc Stolzenberg $133,853

12. Planning Director Eric Riel $131,449

13. Police Major (Professional Standards) Joseph McNichol $128,932

14. Police Major (Investigations) Mark Ginn $128,771

15. Fire Captain Paul Boutin $123,413*

16. Fire Captain John Curry $123,413*

17. Fire Captain James Dunn $123,413*

18. Fire Captain Franklin Ogden $123,413*

19. Fire Captain David Albury $123,413*

20. Fire Captain Joseph Hamilton $123,413*

21. Fire Captain Tony Jedlinski $123,413*

22. Fire Captain David Wiesinger $123,413*

23. Fire Captain Peter Portu $123,413*

24. Fire Captain George Valladares $123,413*

25. Fire Captain Sean Nolan $123,413*

26. Fire Captain Eric Sheeder $123,413*

27. Fire Captain Alejandro Garces $123,413*

28. Fire Captain Gilberto Hernandez $123,413*

29. Fire Captain (currently vacant) $123,413*

30. Fire Captain (currently vacant) $123,413*

31. Fire Captain (currently vacant $123,413*

32. Human Resouces Director Marjorie Adler $121,410

33. Chief Information Officer Gee Ming Chow $121,410

34. Economic Sustainability Director (currently vacant) $120,000

35. Parking Director Kevin Kinney $117,062

36. Police Major (Technical Services) Raul Pedroso $116,117

37. Parks & Recreation Director Fred Couceyro $113,580

38. Building & Zoning Director Edward Weller $113,188

39. City Clerk Walter Foeman $111,336

40. Asst. Finance Director Adolfo Sansores $110,135

41. Asst. Planning Director Walter Carlson $110,131

42. Police Major (Patrol) Edward Hudak $109,137

43. Zoning Official Martha Salazar-Blanco $108,483

44. Fire Division Chief Robert Lowman $108,471*

45. Fire Division Chief Hope Gibbs $108,471*

46. Fire Division Chief Dave Martin $108,471*

47. Police Lt. (Professional Standards) Rene Tastet $107,671

48. Structural Engineer Peter Iglesias $107,286*

49. Structural Engineer Dariusz Reczek $107,286*

50. Fire Lt. Steven Bush $105,943*

51. Fire Lt. Edward Dunn $105,943*

52. Fire Lt. Jack Kerns $105,943*

53. Fire Lt. Donald Griffiths $105,943*

54. Fire Lt. Jeffrey Fabyan $105,943*

55. Fire Lt. James Dolan $105,943*

56. Fire Lt. Glenn Fortunato $105,943*

57. Fire Lt. Thomas Zelenak $105,943*

58. Fire Lt. Michael Jennings $105,943*

59. Fire Lt. Wayne Sibley $105,943*

60. Fire Lt. Jerome Leslie $105,943*

61. Fire Lt. James Dean $105,943*

62. Fire Lt. John Stewart $105,943*

63. Fire Lt. Gerald Maxson $105,943*

64. Fire Lt. Jeffrey Stone $105,943*

65. Fire Lt. Jesus Acevedo $105,943*

66. Fire Lt. Victor Alpizar $105,943*

67. Fire Lt. Kenneth Anderson $105,943*

68. Fire Lt. Harold Louis $105,943*

69. Fire Lt. Thaddeus Ovcarich $105,943*

70. Fire Lt. John Perrotti $105,943*

71. Fire Lt. Alain Rouzeau
$105,943*

72. Fire Lt. Troy Easley $105,943*

73. Fire Lt. Brian Shaw $105,943*

74. Asst. Public Works Director Ernesto Pino $105,916

75. Police Lt. (Administration) Theresa Silverio-Molina $105,670*

76. Police Lt. (Admininistration) Alexander Roffe $105,670*

77. Police Major (Specialized Enforcement) Scott Masington $103,726

78. Police Lt. (Investigations) Cordell Atherley $102,049*

79. Police Lt. (Investigations) Brian Lawrence $102,049*

80. Police Lt. (Patrol) Paul Pitts $101,838*

81. Police Lt. (Patrol) Paul Miyares $101,838*

82. Police Lt. (Patrol) Edward Claughton $101,838*

83. Police Lt. (Patrol) Bart Barta $101,838*

84. Police Lt. (Technical Services) Michael Frevola $101,141

*Averages because the budget lumps similar jobs together as one cost.

The salaries are particularly egregious when one considers that the figures do not include pension or healthcare costs, and don’t contemplate any possible overtime payments (although the budget has targeted overtime for reduction in the upcoming fiscal year).

The top of the salary food chain is no surprise with Salerno and City Attorney Elizabeth Hernandez both earning over $190,000. Afterward, there is a drop of about $30,000 before the assistant city manager (average $160,000) and Police Chief Richard Naue ($155,239) and Fire Chief Walter Reed ($154,000) come into play, with Finance Director Don Nelson (despite a recently released scathing audit of operations in his department) also in the second tier of the city’s highest paid.

Directors of city departments and high ranking police and fire officials comprise most of the third tier of highest paid officials (anywhere from $140,000 to $130,000) but perhaps the most interesting or costly part of the six figure list comes in the fourth tier.

The list includes another 45 firefighters (31 percent of the department). Deputy Fire Chief Marc Stolzenberg will earn $133,853, 17 fire captains will average $123,000 a year, 3 fire division chiefs will average $108,000 and 24 fire lieutenants will get average salaries of almost $106,000.

Combined with the fire chief’s salary, the top paid firefighters are costing the city over $8 million a year, including benefits and overtime.

With so much money already being earned its little surprise that the city’s fire union already agreed to take a 5 percent wage cut, and reduction in merit increases, to assure that no employee positions would be cut in the upcoming fiscal year.

The situation is only slightly less troubling in the police department where 5 police majors take in anywhere from $128,000 to $103,000 and 9 lieutenants take in between $105,000 and $101,000.

While the fire union has already agreed to take a salary hit, the cops have not yet and Salerno already made it known that he required a 5 percent pension contribution or 5 percent wage reduction and merit increase reductions, or the department would face at least 12 personnel reductions.

General employees are also part of the largesse as two structural engineers, a zoning administrator and assistant department directors also take home well over $100,000 a year.

Salerno said that the general employees, now represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, would have to take similar measures to the fire if they didn’t want to face an additional 24 employee cuts, on top of the more than 40 already contemplated in the budget.

Comments

Well now we know where they can start cutting pay after all Salerno's looking out for what's best for our city.Start with these 84

said bffcg at 16-Jul-09 01:19 PM star

Jesus H.Christ! Have Mercy....and here Iam trying to figure how to make on $31,000.00 a year...facing a fire fee, increase in taxes from the city and the county, increase from Waste Management, an array of city and county licenses for this and for that.. This is sick but very sick...

said Fed Up In CG at 16-Jul-09 01:40 PM star

It would also be interesting to find out, how many of these 84 live in Coral Gables. My guess....less than 10%

said F-U City Hall at 16-Jul-09 03:40 PM star

84 middle to upper management employees out of 750+. If you think paying your employees good salaries is wrong, even in tough times like these, think again folks. The police and fire employees make sure we are safe, have the noblest of jobs, and potentially face dangers not common to other jobs. These positions are management positions, ones in which it is their duty to ensure the departments are running correctly and that citizens are being protected. When an organization takes care of its employees, the employees take care of the customers and that is what counts. They deserve the compensation they receive. These salaries are not the concern. The mismanagement of funds and employee matters by city hall is. Millions have been paid as a result of poorly handled decisions and corruption at city hall. The answer is not easy but certainly don't blame these 84 or any employee for that matter.

said Anonymous at 16-Jul-09 10:46 PM star

Hey Anonymous at 16-Jul-09,
Are you alowed to blog while in uniform? I can see doughnut sprinkles all over the screen. The middle managers are overpaid, plain and simple. Its just that at the City Beautiful, overpaid buraucrats is a chronic problem. In this economy, Salerno can quickly replace these people at 25% less salary, and they will still run their departments correctly and ensure our safety.
And yes, we can also deal with mismanagement -- its not like we have to choose between fixing one or the other -- we can do both.

said jaguar at 17-Jul-09 07:30 AM star

I've been living in this city for over 7 years and I can't believe that there are 46 out of 140 fireman who are making over $100,000. This article floored me. I would expect it a little more from the police dept. But fire dept?, c'mon. Don't they work 10 days a month or something? And when they're on duty they're playing basketball or volleyball. Salerno should make it a volunteer fire department and keep full time paramedics who work 8 hour shifts. There are plenty of cities who have volunteer fire dept's and they do just fine. Give the police officers fire extinguishers for your occasional BBQ flare ups and microwave oven mishaps and "Voila", we just saved 5-6 million of our tax money in that alone. Possibly much more in the long run.

said Thanks Dave at 17-Jul-09 11:02 AM star

I understand it if a few of those people are getting paid that much because they might be handling a lot of responsibilities and/or a large department but most of those people don't have to worry about enough to get paid those salaries. Aside from that, I think it's ridiculous that so many from fire and police get paid that much. As the above blog suggests, there is not that much emergency activity in the Gables that requires them to be in danger or busy all the time. Instead, the fire department uses that time to relax and workout. The police department? They have enough time in their hands to go around the Gables issuing traffic violations excessively and harrasing drivers. To top that off, they get paid large amounts of overtime to do that same thing.

said Are You Serious?! at 17-Jul-09 12:30 PM star

Call us when you get held up at gun point for your watch like your neighbor did a couple of days ago. Oh and also when you get in a bad accident and break your leg like we had yesterday. Wait a minute, don't forget when your house gets broken into just like the 3 we had last night, the number is 911. If your car gets stolen, the regular number is 442-1600. That's not quite as urgent but be sure to write that number down. And be sure your precious cell phone doesn't get lost b/c you'll need a report for your cell provider. God forbid you have a heart attack, call 911, and the police officer with the AED responds way before rescue and brings your naive, narrow minded, pathetic self back to life. And yes, if you speed and put others in danger, I would expect a ticket because you probably don't know how to drive either. P.S. the 7-11 on 8 street got robbed this morning at gun point but we just missed him even though we arrived in about 15 seconds (not that it matters because I am sure you wouldn't ever get a slurpy in that neighborhood).

said Anonymous at 17-Jul-09 02:58 PM star

Honestly, I don't completely agree with the above post. Although I definitely concur that the fire department is considerably overpaid. I don't think that the police really fall into that category as much since I don't think they are one of the highest paid departments anymore and I've never been harassed in my dealings with them. Sure, Coral Gables is no slum but there still is crime that flows through our city and the danger that criminals pose is a much greater threat than fire. My biggest concern and the most obvious place to start cutting would be the fire department. I just don't see how one can warrant those salaries for firemen who work only two days a week.

said Dismayed Resident at 17-Jul-09 03:16 PM star

Thank you for those services but that is your job, you don't need $100K+ to do it. The police and fire get paid to do their job but they don't need to get paid six figures to do so in the Gables. With that salary 2 regular police or fire employees can do it as well. You are not doing anything exceptional except for the job you get paid to do. I'm sure a lot of unemployed people out there would be eager to do it for $50K and would have a lot more qualifications and people-skills than you do. Of course I can't expect you to figure that out on your own because your brain is already too busy reading this text.
Soldiers are in more danger and risking their lives daily to maintain our freedom and your fat check coming in and they don't get paid $100K or cry about it so don't give me that self-sacrifice garbage that you are doing so much for us. If you don't do it, we'll simply replace you with someone less expensive.

said Are You Serious?! at 17-Jul-09 03:29 PM star

Wow you really must be a smart individual. You have figured it all out. Actually not quite. The people out on the street doing the above services aren't the ones making the six figures you moron. They are the ones who start at less than $50,000!!! The ones making the six figures are the ones who have put in their time and are making sure the one's making the 50,000 are doing what they are supposed to be doing. And yes, for that money it is a sacrifice. Just ask the family of the officers killed in this county. I am sure they would say pay them more. And if you want to pay them even less than that, don't plan on not getting a level of service you get now. You get what you pay for.

said Anonymous at 17-Jul-09 03:45 PM star

Maybe the reason the crime is lower in the Gables is because of the high level of quality of the professionals in the department. Gables is still one of the few departments in the state that require college education and an incredibly tough hiring process in which your other individuals mentioned in post above would not be able to pass.(i.e., no previous drug use, no criminal history, excellent credit, physical qualifications, psych evals, lie detector, tough oral board and checking all past work and personal references). Miami PD and Miami Dade PD allow some previous drug use (even cocaine) and some criminal past (non-violent in nature). If you think it’s so easy, please apply, give it a chance.

Also you might have missed the point of the article, the individuals getting over $100,000 did not start yesterday. All if not most have over 20 yrs of police experience and have been promoted at least 2 or 3 times. Even if I explain what that actually means you won’t care because you are obviously prejudice of the Gables Police and probably have been ticketed or even arrested by CGPD for some cowardly act.

For a final note the pay of a Miami PD Lieutenant is over 131,000, Miami Dade and Miami Beach is 128,000 and we all know the "quality" of their abilities and response. You’re getting better service and people for $20,000 to $30,000 less each!!!!!!!!! Have a nice day!! :)

said REALLY?? at 17-Jul-09 03:58 PM star

Mr. Serious, I respectfully contend your post. Those making $100K are not the officers that come to your house when you call 911. Those are mostly administrative positions much like mid to upper level management in private companies who up until recently were getting paid much more generous salaries. Now I am not one to say how much the administrative positions should get paid, but the average Coral Gables Officer gets paid about $65K including overtime by the city. Extra income comes from Off-Duty details not paid for by the city but by individuals or businesses requesting security, traffic control, etc. and not by you. Although a decent salary, hardly awash in cash. So considering they do more than give tickets and harass people, please research your facts before you make uneducated comments. Ask people from South America or Mexico what police service they get on the cheap. I doubt they provide the same level of service and professionalism you get here. Besides, they're about lose at least 5% or more of their salary. Just for info. There are many other police agencies in the area who pay more and provide much less. If you don't believe me, move and call 911. Furthermore, if you check the police roster you will find many of the same military veterans that you stated.

said FYI at 17-Jul-09 04:08 PM star

The reason the fire dept gets paid more is because they negotiated it in their contract and did a good job at it. The FOP negotiated under former president Gibbons who acted like an a--hole with everyone he encountered and didn't get the police much of a salary hike. He bit the hand that fed them unlike fire. Now, the FOP is experiencing the same communist leadership under Baublitz who has let the power of his position go to his head. He is going to blow it also. Calm down John, calm down. Realize that you were voted into office. Get all of the information about an issue before you decide to attack people. There are two sides to every story and there is always a middle ground in negotiations. Relax.

said Anonymous at 17-Jul-09 04:54 PM star

Once again this paper has misrepresented the truth. They have misled the readers into thinking that those salaries are correct; they are not correct. If you look at the small print at the bottom of the page you can see that they have lumped each officers categories into one and are showing an average salary for each group. By doing it that way it shows many officers making six figures when they actually don't. They are averaging employees with over 25 years of service with some that may have only 5 years. Maybe one day this rag and its' half-wit reporters will do some actual research before they go to print. One positve thing about this paper is that it is very absorbent and can collect my pets waste at the bottom of it's cage very well.

said Don't believe everything you read ! at 17-Jul-09 05:10 PM star

What's so pathetic about this whole article, and this joke of a paper, is that $100,000 isn't even a lot of money today. 1m isn't even what it used to be. For those of you commenting above, especially the first few, wake up! You must have such myopic views of the world to not realize the 100k is nothing nowadays. Do you live in a bubble and not see what the cost of living is?

said Anonymous at 17-Jul-09 06:44 PM star

Are you serious? You are trying to make it like your 100K job is just getting you by? Try floating that to the 40+ people about to lose their jobs from this terribly run city. I bet they would switch places with you in a heartbeat, because the unemployment line doesnt offer anything close to that. Do us all a favor and shut your mouth. You have a great job with great pay,..just be thankful and go away. No one is saying that all the City problems begin and end with you, but you and your friends certainly haven't helped either. You contribute to the pension? Does your overtime count towards retirement? Do you spend most of your fire fighting days at burger bobs?
I guarantee you your salary wont go down one dollar if you are a firefighter come october 1st...then again, no other unions went out and held up campaign signs in city uniforms last april either.

said GET REAL at 17-Jul-09 07:52 PM star

Those police lieutenant figures are by and large the base salary. They make a ton more in Overtime and other perks. There are probably 2-3 more than necessary to do the job and many of them are out of touch with the needs of the department and of the city. Hey Pat...trim the Fat !!

Pat trim the fat!

Pat trim the fat!

Pat trim the fat!

said Get real at 17-Jul-09 08:26 PM star

Criticise these guys and girls all you like. I know from personal experience; when you call these guys they come no matter what. My divorce cost me 30k and i didn't say jack to my attorney, my attorney almmost never returns my call.Try calling your doctor at 3 am.HA HA HA! he'll tell you to call 911. GOOD LUCK. REMEMBER SEPT,11 2009?

said OBGYN at 17-Jul-09 10:40 PM star

I couldn't agree with you more (OBGYN) as an attorney folks treat me like a king because i can give a great dissertation in the court room. Fire and Police guys will take a bullet to save our lives and you folks want them to make less money and perform more. Realyl? I am sorry folks; you get what you PAY for.
Move to Hialeah or Liberty City if you want inferior service.

said ESQ. at 17-Jul-09 10:50 PM star

Hey (thanks Dave) you idiot! Did you say firemen only work 10 days a month? Do the math MORON. That equals to 240 hours a month. The average person works 40 hours 4 weeks a month which equals 160 hours per month.
Simply put, they work more hours than the average person. At first i was pissed and angry at their salaries. Now i can see why those numbers are inflated. they are working almost one and a half jobs.

said dont believe everything you read at 17-Jul-09 11:02 PM star

Doctors, nurses, teachers, cops, fireman...pay them more!!!!!!!!! Worry about the corrupt corporate heads making gazillions.

said Anonymous at 18-Jul-09 08:36 AM star

So, How many fires do we fight a year in Coral Gables?

said Joe at 18-Jul-09 08:39 AM star

In response to Get Real. Yes the Firefighters do contribute to the Pension Plan: 5% of their total wages to be exact; and yes their overtime does count towards their Pension also. Let me also point out that the Pension Plan for Police and Fire is set up for High Risk employees which is something the General employees are also receiving. High Risk meaning that they are employed to perform a job that is extremely stressfull, dangerous and are willing to put their lives on the line for you and me. The emergency dispatchers, mechanics, and sanitation employees may not be actually putting their lives at risk outright, but their jobs are extremely stressful, dangerous and provide the avenues for Police and Fire to perform their jobs to the fullest. But really, should all the others receive such a great pension?

said Response to Get Real at 18-Jul-09 08:49 AM star

As far as the overtime that goes towards their Pension; Police and General Employees can have upto 600 hrs., Fire is only 300 hrs., and yes Fire will not be receiving a 5% pay increase that was contractually ageed upon...as far as switching jobs with the Firefighters;I really would like to see one their reactions when they are faced with someone having a heart attack, coming upon a mass casualty accident, responding to a Hazardous Material Incident, going inside a burning house or building, or simply wearing the 150+ gear they have to wear and walk up a flight of stairs;the uniform wearing campain sign holders never occured. Let the real men and women continue to do the great job they do while you risk getting a paper cut behind a desk. (Get Real)

said Con't Response to Get Real at 18-Jul-09 09:12 AM star

Our firefighters don't fight fires..they r wanna be firefighters...I've seen them on their fire trucks at Publix burning tax payer fuel and most of them look way over weight? I'll bet they don't fight more than one to two house fires a year, maybe??

said Get Real at 18-Jul-09 09:45 AM star

Get Real, sounds like you tried to hired but couldn't pass the tests. Quit hanging around the bathroom stalls at Publix trying to get your jollies.

said Anonymous at 18-Jul-09 09:56 AM star

Don't pick on the people who are there when you need them the most. Worry about corporate CEO's and public officials like school board members making billions of dollars and are NOT there for you when you need them.

said Reality Check at 18-Jul-09 10:12 AM star

I am disappointed to read some of these nasty comments that are down right ignorant. For example, the Publix comment. What? They can't go get food when they are working 24 hr shift? You didn't mention that most of the time, they don't even get to eat that food, but they are constantly called. Overweight? I bet they can still throw you over their shoulder and take you out of a burning building.

said Reality Check at 18-Jul-09 10:34 AM star

Listen.. all these people talking sh** about firefighters need to step back and listen to what their writing! I'm just going to pick apart some of these stupid blogs... Fires per year? not sure but I've been on 2 house fires in the past month. Then the next day had the Books N Books store caught fire on the second story! So we do fight fires! When you wrap your car around a tree and your mother's not breathing and bleeding, i bet you'll want are help then! Hey GET REAL .. do u expect us not to eat? We go to Publix just like you! And the cops are doing their JOB writing tickets is apart of their JOB thats why it says TRAFFIC UNIT! 98% of are firefighters are Paramedics! so the whole 8hr shifts and get rid of everyone else wouldn't work. What it comes down to is GET REAL your just miserable and a WANNABEE you could never be a Cop/Firefighter sorry but its the Truth! ! !

said the truth at 18-Jul-09 01:03 PM star

To start off it amazes me the ignorance of some of the members of this group blog, towards the firefighters that protect this "city beautiful" that you all love living in. Those that say the firefighters get paid to much. Do you know what they really do? What their life expectancy is after they retire? The amount of time that they are at work instead of being home with their families every night like most of you. How much would you pay your CEO's or Presidents, VP or head managers? Because that is what these top 1/3 % are. They are the Chief's, the Captain's, the LT's. The ones that make the decisions, the ones that have been on the fire dept of 20-25 years. Most don't realize that it is not what firefighters do, it is what they would do. Which is risk their life's for anyone of you; even the ones that talk down to them. Be it saving you or your animals from fires, saving you from heart attacks and when you can not breath, from the panic attacks that all you ceo's might be going though, or your child that is having an allergic reaction. Truth is these guys get paid less then their counter parts in MDFD or MFD. Most of you realize that you get what you pay for. If you want crap showing up at your house at 3 am then that is what you will get. If you what the best men and woman showing up then you need to pay for that kind of service.

said The Facts at 18-Jul-09 01:06 PM star

I only hope that these negative and ignorant comments made today by clueless people do not destroy the morale of those people are are truly deserving of respect and admiration. I hope that the cops and firemen continue to feel appreciated by the majority of the people they risk their lives to save. If they earn that money, its still too low for the risk they take. Thank you on my behalf cause they have always been there for my and my family. By the way, those on the higher end of the pay scale have been their ALL THEIR LIVES.

said Reality Check at 18-Jul-09 02:33 PM star

Thats right. As a lieutenant, it took me 15 years to break 100k. I am responsible for a lot of people, take your complaints, inherent the vicarious liability that comes with being a manager, in charge of making sure our officers are safe, doing the right thing, and get training every year to deal with whatever may come our way.

said Anonymous at 18-Jul-09 03:02 PM star

We need to adopt a more fair and just system of remuneration for the fire and police. How about we pay based on performance, just like in corporate America? The cops would be paid for each incident they had to respond or get involved with. Firefighters would be paid for each fire or real incident that occurred. And no, painting fire hydrants, playing volleyball, basketball, leap frog and filling up at Publix does not count as an incident. If this were the case, they might have to go out and get part time jobs – wait a minute – they do have part-time jobs on the side. Hmmm…something smells here!

said Paid by the incident: at 18-Jul-09 03:47 PM star

How about we build a volunteer FD? A lot cheaper and a lot less whiners who do very little other than try and justify huge salaries with the best of the best argument/bs.

said Volunteer Firefighters anyone at 18-Jul-09 04:25 PM star

And the ignorance goes on......To "paid by the incident" How much would you pay to save your drowning child? or Your Ignorant a** while taking your last breath? Before suggesting about having a volunteer Fire Dept. you should do some research about response times and procedures. If your house was on fire or if you were having a heart attack, would you be willing to wait for a volunteer to respond from their home, drive to the station to pick up apparatus, and then to your home. Hmmm, you're right, something does smell.....your thought process.

Don't forget, you chose your career just like I chose mine. Every fire department in this country is an equal opportunity employer. Would you express your hate to your doctor when he bills you $300 for a five minute procedure? or an attorney for billing you the same amount for a five minute phone call?Maybe you were one of those who couldn't make the cut and are just filled with hate and jealousy. Don't be a hater....

said More Facts at 18-Jul-09 06:47 PM star

Here we go….I am appreciative of all the positive comments listed here in this blog which way outnumber the negative ones about police and fire. I also would like to thank the other city employees listed in this article for the great job they do everyday. As the citizens in this great city sometimes forget, it is due to city employees (of all kinds) that make this city the great place to live and work. It pleasures me to no end seeing the majority of our citizens happy with our service. What other city in Miami Dade do people just walking down the street wave a passing police car. It feels great to wave back and smile.

One person in a comment above listed merit pay, you would be surprised how much more you would be paying if that were true. Just in the past few weeks the PD has made numerous in progress felony arrests from robberies, residential and vehicle burglaries to weapons possession. Our Fire-Recue has saved numerous lives from cardiac patients, car crashes and other emergencies. Most of all please don't forget the unsung people in city hall and other city departments that do their jobs day to day and keep this city running.

The bad economy has hit us all hard, many spouses and other family members of city employees have lost their jobs in the private or public sector. Family incomes have been cut in half or worse.

I do consider myself lucky to be working for City of Coral Gables, it was the only department I applied for over 20 yrs ago and is still the only department I would work for. To my fellow city employees keep your chin up, your doing a great job and most if not all our citizens realize it. Be safe, God Bless.

said MERIT at 18-Jul-09 07:13 PM star

This is straight out of the Florida State Statue:

(1) It is hereby declared by the Legislature that firefighters, as hereinafter defined, perform state and municipal functions; that it is their duty to extinguish fires, to protect life, and to protect property at their own risk and peril; that it is their duty to prevent conflagration and to continuously instruct school personnel, public officials, and private citizens in the prevention of fires and fire safety; that they protect both life and property from local emergencies as defined in s. 252.34(3); and that their activities are vital to the public safety.

Now sit back and really read that and put it into a true perspective within your own reality what is stated. Would you or could you even do what is stated above. The men and women of the Fire Department Community do this every single duty day. Even on occasion Fire Department personnel assist in emergency scenes while off-duty.

I know the view citizens have of the Fire Department is that they sit around, eat, work out, watch TV and yes EAT. They have too, because they are there 24 hours.

On the flip side they train, drill, perform station duties; take care of fire hydrants, public service and education.

YES, 24 HOURS – without family, missing birthdays, Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanza, special family events and so on….. That is a sacrifice that they knowingly make. Every City Job Application states “Are you willing to work Holidays, Weekends and any other day that may conflict with you normal everyday life?” These are the choice they make knowingly and willingly.

Now, the level/type of fires that Departments up north have differ on a large scale due to building construction, age and materials. Municipalities need Fire Departments for Insurance purposes as do homeowners. Why do they ask you “how far away are you from the nearest fire hydrant or fire station?” The trucks and the firefighters on them are there ready to respond at a moments notice. They are not paid to sit and watch TV but paid to respond and react, i.e. Fire Response, Medical Call or Public Assist call.

I heard the cry for a Volunteer Fire Department. I lived in small towns with Volunteer Firefighters. It barely works in the small town setting. Implement that into a medium to large city and it will be a different animal. One guy will show up on a fire truck alone while your home/car is actively burning and wait for everyone else to arrive. Now if someone arrives they can put out the car fire. If it’s a house or commercial building you need at least 2 people on the hoseline to enter and 2 people outside in the event the people inside need assistance. It maybe 20-30 minute before water is put on the fire. Think about that one. In Coral Gables, they would probably close the Old Cutler Station and Riviera Station, leaving the one downtown to respond to a house fire in Cocoplum or Gables by the Sea. How long will it take to get water there?? Forget the dollar value of the home; look at the response time and quality of service.

With regards to EMS/Medical calls, how many of you reading this have ever started an IV on an HIV patient or Hepatitis patient? How about intubate a person with TB (Tuberculosis) or some other form of respiratory transmitted disease. Ever deliver a baby? Would you, could you? Guess what, firefighter/paramedics do it everyday!

Has you son or daughter ever woken up complaining they can’t breath and you are out of their asthma medication? What do you do? Call the Fire Department, who usually shows up within a few minutes with the life saving medication you child desperately needs.

Have you ever made a difference in someone’s life so significant that their life is forever changed? Or look into a mother/father’s eyes and say you child will be fine when they thought they were going to die?

After September 11, 2001 you LOVED US on July 19, 2009 you DESPISE US.

For what??

Because of our salaries and benefits…… There is so much you don’t know about who we are and what we do. I suggest you educate yourselves and get informed before you spew such anger and hatred for the very people who are only a phone call away and that you are a life changing moment away from needing!

Sincerely,

A Fireman

said A Fireman at 19-Jul-09 09:58 AM star

The people that are complaining should be ashamed of themselves!!! I grew up with NO father at home on holidays! Yes he was working......Now I am doing the same with TWO sons............Holiday diners are arranged around there schedules if possible at all. Does anyone in CORAL GABLES understand it could be MY SON......who saves YOUR or YOUR FAMILIES lives??? You all are a spoiled and if you have a problem with the money issues why don't you go to your commissioners.......Oh yes you have PLENTY of them to go to!!!

said Daughter, Mother and Wife of All mentioned! at 19-Jul-09 11:25 AM star

This was pretty much a tasteless article. Let's look at what the people at the County get paid too. They get more of your tax dollars than the City does.

said Tasteless at 19-Jul-09 09:41 PM star

The Gazette is upset over Gables salaries!! Did you see the salaries of Miami Fire & Police!! One officer earned $295,000, a Fire Captain $308,000; The Police Chief earns $290,000. That is 3 times of what the alleged over paid police and fire Lieutenants earn in the Gables, and we know the lousy service Miami provides. Please don’t tell me it’s because Miami has worst crime...Gables has low crime due to the fast, professional response of its officers, not the delinquents Miami hires. I dare the Gazette to write a positive article saying how our salaries compare to Miami and Miami Dade while we provide better service.

said YOUR KIDDING at 19-Jul-09 09:47 PM star

Good Job Gazette. Who cares what they pay in Miami? I care what happens in the Gables and these saleries are outrageous. Becareful Pat sources out to Miami Dade Fire and Police. The last real fire in the gables just blocks from the CG firehouse, Metro Fire arrived first.

said Don't Care at 20-Jul-09 09:43 AM star

Why do we pay over $200K including benefits for a City Attorney who sources out all the cases? When was the last time she actually litigated a case or even won? Why is the City still ligating the truck issue? Why are we still litigating the Santeria case? Only the Attorneys are making money.

said Why? at 20-Jul-09 09:51 AM star

Why do we have 2 Assistant City Managers? Don't get me wrong both are very capable, but why 2.

said A Fireman at 20-Jul-09 09:52 AM star

Pack a lunch/food like the rest of America does when they go to work. If we paid our firefighters for the time actually spent working, their likely making $500+ per hour. Privatization of fire depts. should be the wave of the future for small to medium size City's like ours.

said response to The truth at 20-Jul-09 10:32 AM star

A 1-1 ratio (17-24 = 1.4) of Captains to Lieutenants and a 3-1 ratio Lieutenants to Firefighters is an absolute waste. Too many Fire Chiefs and not enough Indians?? Insane!

said Citizen raising cain at 20-Jul-09 10:36 AM star

I am one of the members of our fire dept here in the city beautiful. One thing no one has considered here is, how many "events" in the city never make it to the papers or news just because of how the city's fire dept is run. Our level of service to the city is unprecedented. The home and business owners pay the lowest fire insurance rates possible due to the insurance industries own rating system. The CGFD is rated class one. One of a handful of departments in the nation to achieve such rating. This system takes into consideration our level of training, our staffing, our equiptment, our water supply system, and many other factors. Trust me, we are busy. No one from the gazette has discussed our call history, the number nor type of events we respond to every day. Someone briefly discussed communicable diseases such as aids, hiv, tb, and an alphabet of others we are exposed to constantly. How many desk jockeys are worried about contracting a life threatening disease through the course of a day. A volunteer department??? Can you be serious? We have explaining to do if a response time is over six minutes. Do you know why these volunteer departments make the news so often? Because by the time they arrive it too late. We simply have very few big fires for three reasons, fire alarm notification systems(required in many buildings in the city), fire sprinkler systems (required in many buildings in the city), and our quick and skilled response to any event.

We do work a strange schedule working shifts of 24 hours or more but as mentioned earlier, many times working a job and a half when compared to a normal 9 to 5 er. That in itself brings on other issues. Sorry to say we do need to provide our own food (visit the grocery store etc.) We are on duty for 24 hours. We live in the fire station for 1/3 of our professional lives. The city provides our basic creature comforts but does not provide any food or basic supplies. Fortunately that is a great time to interact with the public. I am constantly approached while in public and thanked for saving ---------- (fill in the blank). Rarely am I approached with "why are you buying groceries?". Perhaps if you would like the city to supply us with food we wont be required to bother you with our prescence. Playing basketball? Is this an issue? If we are playing basketball/volleyball/etc its after business hours and it is called exercise. We do have a strenuous line of work.

The city beautiful's fire department is YOUR first line of defense. Any citizen can come stay at the station and participate in our "ride along" program. Have you ever held another human beings fate in your hands. Whether or not they live or die. Do you really want a seven dollar an hour employee making those decisions for you. If you really want to experience first hand what we do and are willing to do I would ask you to experience it for yourself before haphazardly spewing forth some of the dribble on this page. I have seen with my own eyes things I hope no other human sees. Things that I will never forget. Things that have changed my life and my way of thinking forever. All of these things have happened within the city limits of Coral Gables. While you are asleep at home tonight with your family. Rest assured it is my, and my colleauges, priveledge to protect your peace of mind.

said In Service to the Citizens of CG at 20-Jul-09 11:04 AM star

You cant be serious. We report for duty @ 7am which means most of us leave our homes by 5 to 6 am. You really want us to pack three meals? Is this really an issue????????????

Privatization? Fire away. Its been tried by many cities around the Nation. Once the private companies are in place and the local gov services are wiped out the costs skyrocket. What are they gonna do? Buy everything over again? The services suffered terribly and everyone who could afford to do so kicked the private companies out and started over. The key here is this, private companies are "FOR PROFIT". Municipal fire and police departments budgets for what it costs to provide services, PERIOD. No board of directors, no shareholders, etc. If you think services will be better and cost less, your dreaming sir.

said responce to the truth 2 at 20-Jul-09 11:21 AM star

$31,000???? You aint livin in the gables on 31k unless you are some ones live in maid. Many of the gables residents have boats tied up out back that cost more than several of our cops and firefighters will make IN THEIR ENTIRE CAREERS!!!!

said fed up in CG?? at 20-Jul-09 11:25 AM star

Okay, I understand that the fire guys have to be on duty and dedicate 1/3 their lives, etc, etc. But why do you guys have so many managers? This is the equivalent of waking into a bank and seeing a vice president for every teller. Way too much management you, or anyone, would say. So why do we need so much management especially when government and private sector businesses are cutting back and cutting down on salaries? Does the fire dept think their job security and pay scale are based on a sense of entitlement? Time to take a haircut fellas.
P.S. A lot of the boats that you see behind the houses never move and some are on the brink of repossession. The wealthy façade of the city beautiful is starting to fade and show that the people paying your salaries are out of $$$.

said I don't get it at 20-Jul-09 12:03 PM star

Good to see local firefighters sticking up for what they rightfully deserve. One mistake I see here and so many firehouses and firefighters is how they label themselves. While I might be an old timer from a different part of the country, where I’m from it is an insult to call us fireman or firemen. Firemen work on or tend fires.
Check it out in the dictionary: Fireman is a person employed to tend fires; stoker. Railroads. a. a person employed to fire and lubricate a steam locomotive. b. a person employed to assist the engineer of a diesel or electric locomotive. U.S. Navy. an enlisted person assigned to the care and operation of a ship's machinery.

As firefighters we fight fires – fire is not our friend and we do not tend to them. Give respect to what we do – firefighting.

said NYC Firefighter Ret. at 20-Jul-09 02:30 PM star

Listen FF, you signed up for the job and understood the risk and sacrifice that come with the job, much like our service men and women (their job is much more dangerous and they don't get paid half as much), your not entitled to anything and should not be looking for "pats on the back". Your compensation package is out of control and needs to be addressed and fixed or our City is going to implode....Gables needs a HazMat team for its Pension!

said Fed up in CG at 20-Jul-09 02:46 PM star

Listen fed up with Coral Gables............YOU DO NOT HAVE A CLUE!!!!! Yes they all have to eat ......Believe it or not even the policemen that called to save your back side!!!

said Daughter, Mother and Wife!! at 20-Jul-09 03:01 PM star

LMAO - No, sweetheart - you have no clue. These guys have been f*cking/fleecing the system for too long. We need salary reductions and more indians and less chiefs in our FD. Our FD is bloated with management.

said Get over yourself DMW at 20-Jul-09 04:02 PM star

How many fires are there in Coral Gables per year? I mean real fires, like house fires or building fires not little fires that you can stomp on or spit on to put out. Fires where people are actually carried out. Does anyone know the answer? I like firemen but let's be real, they have a nice deal going on and they want to protect it.
Secondly, doesn't the police get to a fire first? After all they are on the street already. Can they handle small fires if properly equipped? Maybe the emergency services system should be streamlined to give the policemen fire extinguishers for small fires. Or maybe outsource fire services to Miami-Dade or the City of Miami. Any one of these ideas can work and save Coral Gables millions per year. At the very least they should stop hiring in the fire department for the next few years and re-assess after a few firemen retire.

said Just wondering at 21-Jul-09 12:46 PM star

Yes.. We get there first. Personally, my size 11 firestompers have put out many a fire before the FD shows up to save the foundation. All they have to do after the PD gets there is turn on the fans. The $130K a yr Capt stands there while the $123K a yr Lt tells the $90K a yr firefighter where to place the fan while the $110K a yr Engineer sits in the truck and listens to the radio.

said Anonymous at 21-Jul-09 07:28 PM star

Is that before or after we have to carry you out of the building because you've been overcome by smoke, like we've had to do on several occasions , or delaying us from doing our job because you've block the entry with your car. Stick to directing traffic and checking on barking dogs.

said Anonymous at 21-Jul-09 09:58 PM star

Carry us out? Give me a break. The only reason we might have to go into the roaring stove top fire is because you take too long to get to the scene. Then we have to wait for you to put on your sparkling clean, never used bunker gear. When the County shows up to a scene, they at least have their bunker gear on. And let's not talk about blocking traffic. You guys must take a course on how to totally screw up traffic for no reason. I guess you are too busy checking your pay stubs to think about traffic.

said Anonymous at 22-Jul-09 09:07 AM star

The emergency services provided to Coral Gables are amongst the finest in the nation. For example, the fire department is rated Class 1 by ISO and is accredited by the Commission on Fire Department Accreditation International (CFAI). Few fire departments are able to attain both of these credentials for their offered services, ability to rapidly respond, community outreach initiatives and emergency management capabilities. Furthemore, insurance premiums for homeowners are lowest for residents served by Class 1 Fire Departments.

In reading the article, it seems that these fire and police personnel receive comparable wages to their counterparts in other local municipalities and Miami Dade County. Furthermore, if you did a cost benefit study you would probably find that these services are provided to you at a lower rate than contracting with the private sector or enabling county consolidation; however, it is important to note that the price of these services does not outweigh the degree to which citizens receive professionalism in response to their emergency needs. The amount of education, training, and experience needed to effectively deliver these services cannot be substituted for the substandard just as a means of reducing costs.

In response to how many fires CGFD responds to, the amount of fires or calls for service is irrelevant. These personnel are the same human capital that other municipal governments and counties compete for due to their training and readiness to respond to a host of emergency scenarios including: EMS, HAZMAT, dive rescue, extrication, search and rescue, and technical rescue response. They cannot control the occurrence of emergencies within their jurisdiction; however, they do remain prepared to respond and they make every attempt to mitigate and prevent the occurrence of hazards to the public. Police officers are not equipped or trained to handle fire-rescue calls from the public just as fire-rescue personnel should not be making arrests or carrying side-arms. Federal, State and local guidelines apply to license and certify these sworn emergency service partners (Fire-Rescue and Police personnel) to do 2 very different jobs.

The amount of officers in these departments do comply with span of control guidelines which is 3-7 (optimally five) personnel per 1 supervisor. Many of the officer positions (Lt and higher) that you see listed are staff officer roles that are filled by competent personnel needed to ensure quality
and professional standards. It would be difficult to fill these roles without offering promotion as these positions usually require upper management skills and education requiring a bachelors degree or higher to manage the job effectively. These staff officers are usually not included in determining span of control for response to emergencies. Those positions are filled by line officers such as LT’S, Captains, and Battalion Chiefs to ensure emergency scene safety for victims and personnel and to effectively execute the national requirement for incident command procedures.

I hope my comments were helpful. I sincerely understand that the economic downturn has many of us worried and were looking for all means in which we can conserve funds. Please do not fault the many dedicated men and women who have loyally served the community of Coral Gables. They truly have your best interest at heart and their administrators have always researched every possible means of providing you with cost-effective quality services. I challenge this paper to explore the wages and benefit packages of Miami Dade County and it’s municipal governments. You will probably find that you are being provided world class services at a moderate price.

said Zun at 22-Jul-09 11:01 AM star

I forgot to mention that I'm one of the mentioned in the Gazette that make over $100k and we are having a BBQ in back of the firehouse today also a 5 on 5 basketball game on your tab fools. Atleast we don't use the P Cards for Steaks and Casios.

said Zun at 22-Jul-09 11:12 AM star

Are you listening to all the angry comments come from the police and fireman? It is the equivalent of them walking into your home and saying, "Nice place. It would be a shame if something happened to it, wouldn't it?"
Municipalities are loosing massive amounts of money to the lucrative deals for these police and firefighters. It will make the municipalities broke.
Also, go to the Wall Street Journal's website and do a search on Pete Nowicki. See what happenes when firefighters abuse the system.
.....also, Anonymous. You are like so cool. Will you be my friend?

said Anonymous at 22-Jul-09 01:14 PM star

a friend told me about this blog, he was right. It's ridiculous! It is also apparent that most people making comments don't live in the Gables. Maybe near 8st or Grand Ave. 100k doesn't buy a whole lot these days. The re-model on my kitchen cost more....What's with the angry Police officer picking on the Fireman, don't you make just much and shouldn't you be sticking up for each other.

said resident at 23-Jul-09 02:11 PM star

I love it when snob assh*les assert their own sense of rationale by trying to demean others and their opinions.

said Resident Homophobe more lIke it at 24-Jul-09 03:50 PM star

Folks, can't you tell that most of these folks blogging aren't gables residents?
Most are trying to obtain (mediocre success in obtaining) their 5 minutes of fame. Also pay attention to the accurate (clock timing) postings. This is a joke.
You are being "PUNKED."
Stop falling for this scam. You Firefighters and cops do a great job and i appreciate you guys and girls for risking your lives to save and protect my wife and daughters while i am away from home.
"PROUD GABLES RESIDENT."

said OBGYN at 25-Jul-09 04:14 PM star

To the author of the front page article referencing the Fire department Salaries, and the person(s) with the blog against the Fire Department.
After reading this article, it is confirmed. Instead of naming the editorial the Gazette, it should be named the Enquirer. The accuracy in its columns is reflective of the latter. In reference to cutting the Fire Department work force in half, a reminder, the Coral Gables fire Department is very small ( 2nd smallest in Miami-Dade) compared to other Fire Departments within the county . If the work force was to be cut in half, then instead of posting complaints on salaries, this paper would be posting how the Fire department was consistently failing to save lives and property due to a lack of man power. It would also be posting on how the wife of a Coral Gables firefighter was grieving over her husband’s death because he had to work with inadequate manning in one of the most dangerous professions in the world. Not to mention that those conditions would go against every recommendation of the NFPA( National Fire Protection Agency), which is one of the main standardizing agencies which conducts research on firefighter and civilian fatalities at emergency incidents, and sets the standard for all Fire Departments within North America to operate.
In reference to the comment on the Fire Department ratio being one supervisor to two Firefighters, again the Enquirer, I mean the Gazette ought to print complete facts and do a more thorough job of researching before they go to print. This paper should print all the complete facts, not just half truths so that they can print a more dramatic article. The Fire Department to my knowledge has one supervisor per emergency responding unit, which reflects one supervisor per 4 Firefighters, three if it’s a rescue. The 17 Captains and 24 Lieutenants reflect the total number of supervisors, which is the number needed to cover the supervisor positions so that there is a supervisor for every responding unit when other supervisors are off. Imagine, considering the battle ground nature that is the fire service, if the city was to cut the manning in half, and get rid of half its supervisors. How well and organized would your rescue be? Believe it or not, eventually all of us will need those brave men and women at one point or another in our lives. I am sure the Enquirer (Gazette) would be writing on how disorganized the Fire department was, and why that disorganization caused deaths. Every division within a company needs supervision, I don’t understand why this paper, or the blogger(s) that write their comments, would believe that a profession that requires so much tactical, physical, mental, and emotional strength would not need it.
In reference to the front page article reflecting the salaries of these supervisors, again, the Gazette (Enquirer) ought to do some thorough and accurate research before they print their articles. I know a few firefighters, and from what I have heard, it is pretty insane to see what they have to go through to get to where they are. Let’s dwell a little into the journey of a person trying to reach the front page of the Gazette and become a firefighter/supervisor and most importantly, target of this paper. These individuals have to attend a marine boot camp type fire academy training for 4 to 6 months, then once hired, they have to go through that department’s fire recruit class that is an average from 6 weeks to 6 months county wide. Then they have to go through EMT and Paramedic school which is another two years of schooling, not to mention all the training and testing that is done to the rookies in their first year of probation. Then the firefighter is required to be a certified Driver/Engineer, which is one year of schooling and training. Once they have achieved that milestone, they are given the opportunity to study for a promotional exam by allowing them to study fifteen large volume books, to be completed in a four month time period, then sit for the lieutenant exam. These firefighters are then tested in a practical assessment center which requires prior training in order to perform competitively. If they are able to score high enough and get promoted, then the next step would be to become a Captain. To become a Captain, they are required to have a college degree. Once that is complete, then they are to sit for a Captains test, which are another set of fifteen books and another round of assessment center testing. They are also required to have CEU (continuing education hours) every year, which between that and the required yearly training, it adds up to three hundred plus hours a year. For a large majority of these firefighters, they also become fire inspectors which requires one year of inspector school. These individuals also go to school for things like; confined space rescue, hazardous materials certification, High Angle Rescue, shipboard firefighting, Dive Rescue, Advance Cardiac Life support, Pediatric Life Support, Prehospital Trauma Life Support, Smoke Diver, Etc,Etc,Etc. All the education and training listed ads up to approximately ten plus years of schooling. I am curious to ask this paper, how much do you think that is worth, and what salary you think a person with this type of education, training, and sacrifice should earn? Remember, when you make your calculations, these individuals work 24 hour shifts, which mean they do not go home to their families every night. They also miss out on being with their wife and kids on all major holidays because they are on duty, ready to respond to the worst tragedies that people like us experience. Also, remember the emotional toll that the job takes on an individual who spends one third of his life being exposed to the most emotional and physically disturbing incidents that would be to tragic to describe. Also due to the dangerous nature of the job, these firefighters may not come home from duty on any given day. For the author of this article, and/or the author of the negative comments in the blog(s), I am sure that these firefighters would be more than willing to entertain you with some of the thing s that they do on a daily basis like wear their bunker gear which is three layers of non-breathable material in 100 plus weather, along with 70 extra pounds of gear. I am sure they would be happy to allow you to do some training with them so you can see for yourself what these, according to you, are overpaid, over manned individuals. I am sure you would enjoy seeing, and attempting to save the life of severely injured people which they see on a daily basis. One more thing, this paper and the Blogger(s), failed to put in the article and/or blog(s) that these over paid fire supervisors have an average of 20 years or more on the Fire Department. I think that is a pretty significant omission. So I am curious to hear what salary you think a person with that much sacrifice, education, experience, and training should make? I understand that it is a difficult time, but remember, these firefighters are also residents of Miami-dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County who have to pay increased taxes, excessive fuel prices, and fire fees just like the rest of us.
Sincerely,
A 35 year Resident of Miami-Dade County, who is extremely grateful for having such a well trained, organized, and well supervised Fire department. Keep up the fantastic job that you do.

said Grateful Miami-Dade Resident at 29-Jul-09 12:18 AM star

The Bond Buyer: The Daily Newspaper of Public Finance
Vallejo Union Digs in Heels

Plans to Appeal Court-Sanctioned Rejection of Contract

Bond Buyer | Friday, September 4, 2009

By Andrew Ward

SAN FRANCISCO — In an action that stands to drag out Vallejo, Calif.’s already 16-month-old bankruptcy proceedings, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers plans to appeal a court ruling allowing the city to reject its collective bargaining agreements.

Michael McManus, chief judge of U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California, earlier this week allowed the city to reject the union contract. A lawyer for the IBEW, which represents frontline non-public safety workers, said the union plans to appeal the ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

“This is the first time a court has ever really rejected a public employee collective bargaining agreement,” said union bankruptcy attorney Dean Gloster, of Farella Braun + Martel LLP in San Francisco.

He said the precedent is bad for public workers across the country, unfair to Vallejo’s lowest-paid workers, and based on an incorrect interpretation of the U.S. bankruptcy code.

The union’s legal team can appeal to the Ninth Circuit or the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel in Pasadena, Calif. Gloster said he plans to file with the Ninth Circuit because its judges are more accustomed to dealing with labor law and may be more willing to question the idea of throwing out a contract than bankruptcy judges.

McManus subjected the city’s motion to reject the labor contracts to a three-part test defined in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1984 case National Labor Relations Board v. Bildisco & Bildisco.

The Bildisco standard required the city to prove that the contract was burdensome; rejection of the contract was equitable to the parties to the bankruptcy; and the parties had tried to negotiate a solution and were unlikely to reach an agreement.

McManus this week said Vallejo met that standard. If his ruling stands, the IBEW will have to renegotiate its contract, which was good through June 30, 2010.

The city is pushing for new contracts because it believes overly generous labor agreements bankrupted it. Labor costs account for about three-fourths of the Vallejo general fund, or about $60 million a year.

By contrast, the city’s general fund municipal market debt is small. It has just over $50 million of certificates of participation outstanding.

Gloster said the U.S. Congress overturned the Bildisco precedent when it enacted Section 1113 of the Bankruptcy Code, which says a company can void labor contracts only if that action is necessary to prevent liquidation of the business. Gloster also argued that the bankruptcy court couldn’t simply allow the city to ignore California’s public sector labor laws.

McManus rejected those arguments in a legal memorandum he issued in March. At the time, he wrote that the Congress had declined to incorporate the changes into the Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy law. He also said the state had waived local labor law when it authorized its municipalities to file for Chapter 9 protection.

The March memo was his interpretation of the law. He applied it to the Vallejo case by rejecting the IBEW’s contract earlier this week after forcing the parties into mediation with a bankruptcy judge for several months.

Vallejo, which has four public employee unions, reached voluntary agreements on new contracts with the Vallejo Police Officers Association and the Confidential, Administrative, Managerial, and Professional Association.

The International Association of Firefighters last month agreed to rejection of their contracts and to begin an expedited schedule of negotiations that will either yield a new contract agreement or a contract that’s imposed in binding arbitration within several months.

Vallejo, a city of 117,000 people, sought Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection in May 2008. It’s the biggest municipal bankruptcy since Orange County, Calif.’s in 1994.

“There aren’t many municipal bankruptcies, and I think Vallejo is one of the first — if not the first — to really concentrate on employment contracts,” said James Spiotto, head of the head of the special litigation, bankruptcy, and workout group at Chapman and Cutler LLP in Chicago. He agrees with McManus’ interpretation of the law.

He said the judge’s ruling is “unusual, but not unanticipated” because of the law and the economic conditions of local governments.

Spiotto said he hopes the ruling and Vallejo’s experience will show public officials and public employee unions that they need to negotiate seriously to avoid bankruptcy.

Vallejo’s lawyer, Marc Levinson of Orrick. Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, said the IBEW’s appeal is a waste of time and money for both the city and its workers. He said the city has already spent millions on legal fees that could have been put to better use paying firefighters and IBEW members.

“If they’re going to appeal it, which is their right, it’s just more time, more money, more delay,” he said.

Levinson said it’s better to start negotiating a plan to adjust Vallejo’s debts. A “plan of adjustment” is a legal term for a schedule of payments that the economically battered city can actually afford to pay after the bankruptcy. It’s the last stage in a bankruptcy, and requires the parties to come to an agreement on the damages that unions and bondholders will be paid for their losses under the bankruptcy.

“We still have to fight about damages, which could be substantial, but at least we’re at the point now where we really have to move forward on the formulation and negotiation of a plan,” Levinson said.

Bankruptcy damages are generally paid at pennies on the dollar from the leftover funds in a bankruptcy. The payments are often stretched out over years or decades.

Gloster said the IBEW will continue to negotiate on a new labor contract, even as it appeals McManus’ ruling to higher courts. He said the city could end the case now if it would offer its front-line workers the same sort of terms as it offered managers.

His comments suggest the union’s appeal may be both a principled stance on the sanctity of its contracts and a way of keeping pressure on the city to offer the IBEW the best deal possible.

Gloster said he couldn’t discuss the precise details of the labor negotiations, but said the main point of contention for the IBEW is that its workers — Vallejo’s lowest paid — are being offered less generous health benefits than police, firefighters, and management employees.

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