They haven’t got a labor contract yet, but Addison’s three full-time firefighter/paramedics did receive a 2 percent pay raise at the township’s annual meeting March 29 despite objections from the chief.
‘Personally, I believe, and the (fire) board agreed with me, it’s like giving away the chips before you sit down to the table to (bargain),? warned fire chief George Spencer. ‘All that’s going to happen is they’re going to ask for 4 percent more. You’re showing your hand ahead of time and I would strongly advise not to do it.?
At the end of February, the township’s three career firefighters/paramedics voted to be represented by the Southfield-based Michigan Association of Fire Fighters. The union must still negotiate a labor contract with the township.
Originally, the township board was considering a resolution to give the township’s hourly employees ? excluding the three union members ? a 2 percent pay raise.
Clerk Pauline Bennett amended the resolution to allow the three career firefighter/paramedics to receive the raise subject to union approval and if accepted, no raise negotiations would be able to take place for one year.
Bennett said she amended the resolution because she has ‘not been comfortable? with giving the hourly employees a raise and not the union members.
Despite Spencer’s warning, the resolution passed 4-2. Trustees Claudia Von Drak and Christine Sypitkowski cast dissenting votes.
‘You hate to start some sort of rift between employees by singling them out, however, by them deciding to unionize, I think they singled themselves out,? Sypitkowski said.
Other than that small debate, the annual meeting went smoothly ? largely due to the fact that only one resident attended.
Officials then went on to unanimously approve its 2008-09 budgets and set the millage rates to be levied in December.
The township’s general fund budget is set for $1,293,650 in revenues with $1,289,032 in expenditures, leaving a net revenue of only $4,618, although Treasurer Dan Alberty stressed that the township does have about $500,000 on reserve ‘in the bank.?
‘We’ve continued to keep our budget balanced and healthy,? Supervisor Bob Koski said.
Several other budgets were also approved by the board on Saturday as well.
The fire operational budget has $850,500 estimated in revenues and an equal amount in expenditures. Their capital account has estimated $401,000 in revenues and $320,000 in expenditures, for an ending balance of $81,000.
The police fund is estimated at $1,145,000 in revenues with $1,019,000 in expenditures, for a balance of $125,500.
The estimated revenue of all funds is $3,690,150 and the total amount of expenditures at $3,478,532, for a balance of $211,618.
Township elected officials and trustees will not receive any raise like the hourly employees, however the fire chief did receive the 2 percent raise bringing his salary from $57,538 to $58,708.
Koski and Alberty will each receive a total salary and benefits package of $41,923.32. Bennett will receive a salary and benefits package totaling $53,362.28.
Millage rates were also set at the annual meeting. The general operating millage was set at 1.0748, the library tax is set at .5716 mills, the police tax is set at 3.25 mills and the five fire taxes will total 2.6951 mills, with three of them expiring this year.
A copy of the 2008-09 Addison Township budget is available for inspection at the township offices.