By Edward Mason
The Boston Herald
BOSTON — A City Hall watchdog is calling on the City Council to reject an arbitration award for Boston firefighters, saying the hefty contract would be “bad deal for taxpayers.”
The Boston Finance Commission report, issued last night, targeted a special payment for drug and alcohol testing that pushed the total four-year pay hike to as much as $74 million.
“It’s a bad deal for taxpayers,” said Matthew Cahill, executive director of the Boston Finance Commission, a state-created city watchdog, told the Herald.
But a defiant Boston Firefighters Local 718 chief Ed Kelly said the city has the dough to make good on the award. “The city did not contest the ability to pay (earlier),” he said. “The city has set aside reserves to fund the arbitrator’s decison. The city should do it.”
Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s spokeswoman, Dot Joyce, could not be reached last night. Council President Michael Ross said he “respects” Cahill’s findings. Ross, who has enlisted an MIT professor to analyze the award, said the council wants to hear from experts and the public before voting.
The report said the costly contract comes as the city is closing libraries, and the hefty hike could force the Hub to shutter fire houses and lay off firefighters.
The City Council has to approve funding of the contract in order for it to take effect. Otherwise, the firefighters and the city would go back to the negotiating table. Cahill noted the Worcester City Council shot down a $5 million arbitration award in 2004.
Copyright 2010 Boston Herald Inc.