Sales Tax Proposal Sent Back for More Info

During a long meeting that stretched from before lunch until 5pm, the Board of County Commissioners yesterday deferred action on staff’s sales tax proposal, sending it back for more information. Commissioners Valeche, Burdick and Abrams all wanted to see things slow down while the proposal is fleshed out. They did not want to see ballot language as of yet, rather the next session should discuss the unknowns of the proposal, including: –... [Read More...]

Final Hearing on FY2016 Budget, 9/21

Next Monday, the Commission will take their final vote to set the county-wide millage rate at 4.7815, unchanged since 2012. Out of the $63M tax increase, the $775K that they did not commit to new spending will be rolled into reserves, ready for use to increase the BDB subsidy and other priorities that didn’t make the budget proposal. This is how the budget compares to last year: 2015 2016 Change County-wide $667.3M 729.9M + 9.4% Library $41.5M 45.0M ... [Read More...]

Palm Beach County is not Wisconsin

On Tuesday, a sea of yellow shirts packed the commission chambers. None of the shirt wearers, who are members of IAFF local 2928 as well as employees of County Fire Rescue, took the podium to speak. That wasn’t why they were there. As acting union President Ricky Grau spoke in favor of “three men on a truck” and accused the county of understating the amount of reserves they have to spend, the sea of yellow shirts were there to... [Read More...]

Fire/Rescue Contract Negotiations – Back to the BCC

TAB members have been attending these, mostly once/monthly, negotiations since mid-June.   It was clear that little or no progress had been made in six months, and we of  TAB wondered how many more billable hours  would be spent for attorneys from both sides, sans resolution to anything. Well – apparently, the County management team’s patience has been exhausted.  The County expected the Union to appear with a wage proposal, or... [Read More...]

Fire/Rescue Contract Talks Postponed for Another Month

Meet the Negotiating Team For the county: Steven Jerauld Appointed to the top Fire/Rescue position in 2009, Chief Jerauld came up through the ranks. He participated in the last contract negotiations as Deputy Chief of Operations. Robert L. Norton Partner in the firm Allen, Norton & Blue, P.A. which calls themselves “The Management Labor & Employment Firm”, Robert Noyce has 38 years of practice in Labor and Employment law.... [Read More...]

Fire / Rescue Contract Talks continue on Wednesday

Contract talks that have been ongoing since June for a new three year contract with IAFF local 2928 will continue this week. Three all-day sessions are scheduled for Wednesday through Friday, from 10:00AM to 5:00PM in the Everglades Room at the Chief Herman W. Brice Administrative Complex on Pike Road. The last meeting was somewhat contentious as reported by Mike in “F-bombs Fly at Fire/Rescue Negotiations“. Given a month has passed, we... [Read More...]

Tax Rate Proposal Still Too High

The current proposed millage on the table for the 2012 budget is $4.79 per thousand dollars of valuation, up 0.8% from the $4.75 of last year. With declining valuations, that millage would collect $596M in taxes, $7M or about 1% less than last year. An “alternative” offered by Bob Weisman differs by about $700K – hardly worth mentioning. At the September 13 preliminary hearing, commissioners Abrams, Burdick and Marcus voted against... [Read More...]

F-bombs Fly at Fire/Rescue Negotiations

TAB has been attending the meetings between County Fire/Rescue management and IAFF Local 2928 since they began four months ago (See Genesis of a Collective Bargaining Agreement, Fire / Rescue Contract Talks Continue, and Little Progress in the IAFF Contract.) We had been advised that the meetings tended to be raucous and filled with stunts and theatrics on the part of the union, but in three meetings we saw none of that. While very little progress... [Read More...]

Fire Salaries Frozen in Martin County

Martin fire-rescue workers forgo raises in contract approved by County Commission Tuesday, August 23, 2011 STUART — Martin County’s 300 fire-rescue workers will not receive raises in the next three years under a contract approved Tuesday by a divided County Commission. That, combined with additional givebacks could total as much as $460,000 in savings. Read the entire story by George Andreassi in TCPalm HERE  Read More →

Little Progress in the IAFF Contract

The “negotiations” between Palm Beach County and the International Association of Fire Fighters, local 2928 have now been in progress for three months. With the exception of some minor cleanup in the text, there has been no agreement on anything. The major issues of starting salary (the county wants a 22% reduction) or employee contributions toward health insurance (3%) have not even been broached in the public meetings. Seemingly minor... [Read More...]

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