Like a segment in a Tom Clancy novel discussing intelligence and especially counter-intelligence, it’s entertaining to watch the city/district pass messages and posturing through meetings, media, and rumor. The most recent series of quotes from one local media source, Ken Balsley’s web site, from the city manager saying that the contract is back on the table is surprising news. Is this any way to negotiate and manage…by making unilateral decisions without input from anyone?
Over a year ago, I recall listening to mayor Sackrison at one of the last city/district meetings saying that this (the crisis or contract impasse) was about “money and control”. Not about service, not about response, not about quality or content…So what did “money or control” mean?
In the months that followed, city manager Greg Cuoio would stand and say that “we (the city) can do it better and cheaper” if the city formed a fire department. Which has been redacted recently at a consultants presentation in which the city pointed out that they could do it maybe for ”as cheap or a little bit more” but not for what was originally promised. Further, the price figure offered by the city for a future fire district contract was self generated and never a figure the fire district generated.
So now we are left with the concept of control. The city has contended that they want to control the contractor/fire district, not the level of service, but staffing. In past arguments, this was to keep station 35 open at the expense of other areas in the city but most importantly at the expense of county residents. So if you “rob Peter to pay Paul” (a Blaine Martin, city financial manager quote), everything is ok in the eyes of the mayor and manager? The fire district can’t do that. You can’t be elected as a fire commissioner for the fire district to do a job for the county taxpayers who own the organization, and then abdicate control to individuals (the city) who have no vested interest in the “company’s owners” needs and assets.
So our answer sitting from the bleachers is that this would be irresponsible if not dangerous to give control of staffing and the distribution to Sackrison and Cuoio who have no fire service background, and most importantly won’t even talk to their constituents or the fire fighters to get the information necessary in making these decisions. Ironically, the city has already been given the option to have control or at least voting influence in something called a Regional Fire Authority, which not only could be written to give them or at least directly voted representation from the city, but the opportunity to vote and have some manner of influence. Further, when the city’s budget revenue is still off by 13% and this has been offered as an out to dramatically help (like millions of dollars) the city’s budget, then we gotta wonder why you’re still saying “no” other than you don’t understand the choices and consequences.
Whatever, 123 days until Election Day and then perhaps these problems will be solved.