Police scheduled for raise despite deficit
Nov 06, 2009 | 1035 views | 7 
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That’s because the city in 2006 negotiated a five-year contract with the police officers union that gives its members 5 percent annual pay increases through 2011.
At a time when sales and property tax revenues have taken a nosedive and ballooned the city’s built-in budget deficit to an estimated $9 million, personnel costs in the police department went up from $19.1 million in fiscal year 2008-09 to $20 million.
City administrators issued layoff notices two weeks ago to 39 employees who will be out of jobs by the first of the year. If all 69 positions are cut, the city estimates it will shrink its spending by $6.5 million.
But personnel costs are set to jump another 5 percent in the police department next year, though there’s now talk that the police officers union might voluntarily give up its pay raise scheduled for July 1, 2010, according to Councilman Steve Abercrombie and others.
The head of the police union, Marc Bergman, said this week that he’s talking with city officials about proposed job cuts in the department, and foregoing the scheduled July raise is one of the things under discussion, though nothing has been decided.
Twenty jobs in the police department could be cut, according to plans of city administrators unveiled this week.
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When did we start allowing reporters to write news stories without interviewing anyone?! That's not news, it's the personal opinion of the writer- who has no business injecting his personal views into the NEWS. Just report the facts, and keep the bias to yourself.
How about we print YOUR wages and benefits in the paper also. This may give the readers some insight as to you level of intelligence and justify your wasting people's time with stupid comments. Geeeezzz enough already!! Why are people hell bent on attacking the employees?
515050....Well said. I could not agree more with your comments.
Here are some questions a journalist might ask: Has the Tracy Police Department made any prior cost saving measures to help off-set the fiscal crisis. Did the City approach the union about the '09 5% raise? Did the union refuse to negotiate with the City at that time?
The article does state that the union is in talks with the City about cost saving measures. According to the union president and a Councilman they are likely to forgo the upcoming raise. If this is true, then where is the story, especially if you didn't ask the above questions? Granted, the final negotiation, or lack thereof between the City and the union is a story.
This is sensational journalism, the type of story that one would expect to find in "The Enquirer". Or maybe in a paper facing financial failure and irrelevance trying to stir up readership?
In my opinion, I think police, fire, doctors, nurses and every other public service person should be paid on a backwards scale. Meaning, those at the top who do less should get less, and those dealing with miscreants and other not so nice and clean folks in society should be paid better.
Food for thought.
When your in the ER and someone walks in with an infectious something, you can get up and walk out so not to catch whatever they have, right?. But wait, what about the doctors and nurses? Can they leave?
As for the cops / fireman. In don't think they get paid enough to deal with the problems I and everyone else who is not a cop or fireman elect not to deal with.
I can hardly stand the smell of cigarette smoke, so I couldn't imagine being in or putting out a fire. And it would really suck if someone was breaking into my house at night and I didn't have a person to call for help. A person who would show up without question and deal with my problem and fears.
Just food for thought.