By Josh Hafenbrack
Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Copyright 2007 Sun-Sentinel Company
All Rights Reserved

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — He has more than 10 years seniority, but Hollywood firefighter Rudy Jurando is worried. With the Legislature looking to deeply reduce property taxes, the lifeblood of local government, Jurando thinks his job might be in jeopardy.

Under one cutback scenario, the city is looking at losing up to 172 police officers and firefighters.

"I'd be on the chopping block," said Jurando, a Miami native with two kids.

With 450 firefighters gathered at the annual convention of the Florida Professional Firefighters, held at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott, union leaders and rank-and-file firefighters said there's a message not getting to the public in the property tax debate: Any serious savings would cut at the heart of police and fire operations, because they usually account for the bulk of local budgets.

"The property taxes cuts, as proposed, are far, far too large," said Palm Beach County firefighter Rich Lounsbury, a 26-year department veteran. "They would affect essential services."

With the possibility of layoffs looming, Lounsbury said a recent union meeting that normally would have attracted about 50 members drew a crowd of 290.

"Our people are very nervous," he said.

Addressing the statewide union, Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller, a Cooper City Democrat, implored the firefighters to use their popularity with the public to counter claims made by some state legislators and Gov. Charlie Crist that the property tax cuts won't force cities to cut public safety.

"You guys simply have not done enough to get out the word," Geller said, noting that the special legislative session on property taxes starts Tuesday. "You know what we've agreed on? Nothing. There is still time. Candidly, what the hell are you waiting for?"

Geller had harsh words for Republicans in the Legislature who are pushing for deeper tax cuts.

"You have a lot of my colleagues who are saying you can have a 50 percent tax cut and it won't hurt police and fire. These people aren't telling you the truth," he said.

Firefighters are likely to get a far different perspective from today's expected speaker: Crist. During a speech in West Palm Beach last month, the governor called the layoff scenarios being rolled out by cities and counties a "despicable" fear tactic.

In Palm Beach County, the county Fire-Rescue Department is funded through a separate taxing district, so any cuts would be felt more acutely because they cannot be spread to other parts of county government. The county has warned more than 200 firefighters could lose their jobs, depending on how deeply the Legislature cuts into local spending.

"There's no fat to trim from our budget," Lounsbury said.