by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Jacksonville police and corrections union members rejected a tentative deal with the City Wednesday that would have called for employees to receive a 2 percent pay cut. Talks now move to a special magistrate.
Fraternal Order of Police President Nelson Cuba said Wednesday the over-whelming negative vote was cast after union officials presented results from a forensic auditor that showed the City had $100 million in several contingency funds.
“Our position is that if you can give the money to other things, let us hang on to our 2 percent,” said Cuba. “It’s not going to cost citizens anything. The money’s there.”
Only 10 of the 1,340 voting police officers wanted the deal, with none of the 51 lieutenants and captains approving, while 15 of 563 corrections members and officials approved the deal. Cuba said the 2 percent cut would have been around $3.3 million in pay cuts.
Cuba said the forensic auditor presented results from the last five years and while $100 million is there, the study isn’t complete and there is more money to be found in such funds.
“We’re not done yet,” said Cuba.
No date has yet been set for the special magistrate hearing, said Cuba.
Mayor John Peyton said this morning that he was not happy with the vote.
“I am very disappointed by the outcome of the union’s vote. The deal that the union tentatively agreed to (2 percent wage reductions and a 5 percent contribution to their health benefits) pales in comparison to what many people in this community are facing in the way of financial hardship,” Peyton said in a statement.
“The union is out of touch with the realities of the times we are living in. The other union and nonunion city employees are already taking (cuts). It is a concept called ‘shared pain.’ Essentially, the union is sending the message to the taxpayers that they should pay more to support their salaries and pensions. That sense of entitlement is offensive,” he said.
The mayor’s office said the funds identified by Cuba’s forensic auditor are monies in emergency contingency reserves.
The mayor’s office said the city’s bond ratings are based upon the amount in reserves and that it is “bad policy” to pay for a recurring expense with one-time money.
The reserves “should only be used for a one-time problem, such as a manmade or natural disaster,” said spokesperson Kristen Beach.
The mayor’s office said reserves “should not be used to pay salaries, which is a recurring expense. Using it would only solve the problem for one year. It will simply reappear the next year.”
356-2466