By Mark Hofmann
The Daily Courier
CONNELLSVILLE, Pa. — Connellsville City has reached a settlement with the city’s remaining paid firefighter, Craig Gates, allowing the city to avoid arbitration and to eliminate the paid department.
“So far, we’re going to pay him for sick time and made an agreement on his pension,” said Councilman Brad Geyer, the city’s director of finance.
Connellsville voters supported a referendum that appeared on the November ballot to eliminate the city’s paid fire department, which included only one man.
Connellsville hasn’t had a 24/7 paid fire department for nearly 15 years; the staff had dwindled through attrition.
New Haven Hose Volunteer Fire Company has been the city’s primary fire department since 1991 and will continue with the elimination of the city’s paid department.
New Haven Hose, which has 35 firefighters with an average of 12 firefighters responding to every call, is assisted by South Connellsville and Connellsville Township volunteer fire departments.
Geyer did not have any numbers available regarding the settlement.
In the planning stages of the 2015 budget, council said with pay and benefits, the elimination of the department was estimated to save the city $100,000 annually.
With the settlement, Geyer said the city will be able to restore paid summer help to the city’s street and recreation departments in the proposed 2015 budget, which council plans to take a vote on during a special meeting at 5 p.m. Monday at city hall.
However, the proposed 2015 budget still includes a millage increase.
Council tabled voting on the budget at its Dec. 16 meeting because it was still in negotiation on the firefighter issue and also was trying to reach an agreement with the city’s union employees over a new health insurance plan.
Council had voted in November for a 1 mill tax increase, from 7.5 to 8.5 mills.
Connellsville Mayor Greg Lincoln said council has been working on getting that proposed tax increase down to a 0.75-mill increase.
“This is because the city will be ratifying an agreement with the union to complete the process of dissolving the paid fire department by the 31st (of December),” Lincoln said.
“We’re still looking at a tax increase,” Geyer said. “Nothing changed enough in the budget to adjust that.”
Council is still discussing the proposed change in health insurance with the city’s union employees, which council said could save the city additional money.
The first reading of the proposed budget was passed by a 3-to-2 vote in November with Councilmen Tom Karpiak and Greg “Matty” Ritch voting against it as well as the tax increase.
Mark Hofmann is a staff writer with Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-626-3539 or mhofmann@tribweb.com.
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