Courtesy photo
South Daytona City Manager Joseph Yarbrough says he's pleased city employees are forgoing raises in the third and final year of their contracts to help the municipality deal with its budget crunch, calling it the most challenging in his 35 year-career.
SOUTH DAYTONA ─ As City officials scramble to balance the budget, union employees agreed to forego raises for the final year of a three-year contract.
Forced by the "most challenging budget" of his 35-year career, City Manager Joseph Yarbrough asked bargaining units if they would forego both merit and cost of living raises for next year.
Those agreeing to a wage freeze include a total of 75 police, fire and general bargaining unit employees.
Non-union employees had already been notified that they will not receive raises this year. Yarbrough lauded the employees for recognizing the financial hardship South Daytona, like most municipalities, is experiencing during this tough economic climate.
“Their positive response to my request helps mitigate future > > layoffs and confirms my belief that city employees are like a family who look after their members,” Yarbrough said Wednesday.
Despite significant reductions in operating expenses, delaying capital equipment replacement and eliminating positions through attrition and voluntary early separation agreements, Yarbrough said the city still faces unprecedented reductions in property tax values and revenue. Employees are deferring short-term gains for the overall good of the City and its residents, he said, and concessions such as these help mitigate future layoffs and cutbacks in citizen services.
City firefighters were already on the front lines of concessions in February when they voluntarily agreed to forfeit their annual merit increases.
“The union recognizes that the financial crisis affects everyone. It’s important that both parties work together to avoid layoffs and ensure critical services for residents,” said South Daytona Professional Firefighters President Adam Huth.