Providence City Council to vote on budget-repair plan
12:28 PM Thu, Jun 18, 2009 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The City Council is set to approve Thursday night a plan to close the $17-million deficit for the fiscal year that ends this month. The supplemental budget is an amended version of Mayor David N. Cicilline's budget repair plan, which had called for wage and benefit concessions from all city workers. The mayor's budget included pension reforms that would have required the police and firefighters who have been on the payroll for less than 10 years to work at least 25 years before qualifying for a pension. It also would have reduced disability pensions from two-thirds of pay to half. But as amended by the City Council's Finance Committee, the proposed pension overhaul would now affect those on the payroll no longer than 5 years and require them to serve 23 years to qualify for a pension. The committee's plan also does not include a reduction in disability pensions. Cicilline has said that he is not opposed to the council's proposed changes, even though it would result in an estimated $500,000 loss in projected savings. The police and firefighter unions, however, say they are opposed to the plan, even in its amended form, and will likely challenge it in court. The full council has already taken the first of two required votes to approve the amended budget, which essentially maintains other changes sought by the mayor. Those include an increase in health-insurance contributions to 20 percent for non-union employees and 15 percent for union employees. There is also a planned wage freeze through 2010 and the elimination of a paid holiday. The city has already imposed the changes on non-union staff, but to date only one of the city's five major labor unions -- Local 1033 of the Laborers International Union of North America, which represents City Hall workers -- has agreed to the terms. The council will take up on Thursday night a revised contract with Local 1033 that spells out the agreed upon concessions. Under the new contract, Local 1033 workers hired after July 1, 2004, will have to work until age 60 to collect a full pension and those hired after July 1 of this year will have to work until 62. Also, all workers will now be required to serve 30 years before obtaining a full pension. Those employees who reach age 55 and serve for 10 years can opt for a reduced pension. The current retirement age for City Hall workers is 55 and the period of service is 25 years. Besides city police officers and fire fighters, unions representing teachers and school clerks have not agreed to the terms sought by the city, meaning that a legal challenge from those unions is also likely. The council meets at 7 p.m. in City Hall. The budget repair plan and the revised Local 1033 contract language, if approved by the council, goes to the mayor for approval. Cicilline has said that he will not veto the council's budget. 
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wow why dose the council go after the Mayor for spending the 275 grand an for the 175 rand bounced check. Then fire all the top Mayors aids who do nothing but kiss the Mayors butt and park were ever they dam well please.
Then they can start with the waste at city hall get rid of all the crown vics and suv and buy all smart cars their is no need for them in the city. and you keep one vehical to travel the state. no driver eaithe the Mayors a big boy he can drive himself after all Mr lombardi can drive chasing fire trucks all day long why cant Cicilline
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Don't forget firing Atty. Kasle who has been been paid close to a million dollars in legal fees and has yet to win one arbitration or court case in Cicilline's battle against the FFs.
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the city can save $500,000 that the mayor spends on his personal security! What does the man need to spend that much cash for security for; be cheaper if he saw a therapist and realized that people really aren't out to get except in his head.
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