Orange County firefighters and sheriff's deputies demonstrated Tuesday morning outside of the county commissioners headquarters, protesting possible cuts in public-safety funding and saying that the public should be allowed to vote on propsed sports and entertainment venues.
Firefighters and deputies said they deserve more money before big venue items are approved, and they added that if the new buildings are constructed, they won't be adequately staffed for the public's protection.
Orange County firefighter and sheriff's deputy union leaders said they're already losing recruits to surrounding agencies due to pay, so unless budgets are increased, they said they won't be able to properly protect the new venues.
"Simple logic would tell you that if you intentionally build facilities and spend millions to advertise these facilities to bring people to Orlando, you better have a plan to protect them," Jim Spearing of the Florida Police Benevolent Association said.
But county leaders said the nearly $1 billion new venues undertaking likely would be paid for by private donations and a tourist tax, which by law cannot be spent on public safety, making the union's point moot.
"It sounds good. It's a good public-relations ploy to say, 'There's not enough money going to public safety, maybe we should have a referendum on the civic venues.' But really it is a complete apple-and-orange (argument)," Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty said.
Crotty said the unions are correct that this issue should be addressed, but he said that the new venues should not be their target.
Adding to the budget woes are the talks in Tallahassee about property tax reform.
Crotty said he is urging union leaders to work with him to help solve the property-tax crisis and present that to Tallahassee, so they can then focus on public-safety funding.
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