Pa. Mayor's Budget Would Cut 29 Firefighter Jobs

In a word, Dave Gervasi was "flabbergasted."

After years of fights between the union and the administration over wages, benefits and positions, the president of Scranton's fire union came before city council Tuesday night as the latest battle begins, decrying Mayor Chris Doherty's plan to slash 29 firefighter jobs under next year's budget.

"What the mayor is proposing in his budget is so over the top, it defies any logic," said Mr. Gervasi, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 60.

The department currently employs 129, according to recent statistics from city business administrator Ryan McGowan.

Mr. Gervasi said the cuts would mean 70 percent of the department -- which has eight stations and 11 vehicles, including one command car -- will be closed most of the time.

"There will not be four stations open," Mr. Gervasi said. "There can't be any more than mathematically two open."

Efforts to reach Mr. Doherty and Mr. McGowan after the meeting were unsuccessful.

Mr. Gervasi was not alone Tuesday night in criticizing Mr. Doherty's proposal. Jack Gaffney, fire union vice president, said the cuts will harm response times -- and more than a dozen residents shared their view.

"The mayor is going to have a lot more deaths on his hands," said resident Les Spindler, who attributes a September fire that killed three people to the loss of firefighters.

City officials, however, have attributed the death of the three people to a lack of fire alarms or smoke detectors in their Lawall Street home.

Councilman Jack Loscombe, public safety chairman and a retired firefighter, called for a public hearing to be held for Mr. Doherty, Mr. McGowan and Fire Chief Tom Davis to explain "how they plan on protecting the city."

"If one person is injured because of this lack of manpower I am going to hold all three of these people responsible," Mr. Loscombe said.

While Councilman Pat Rogan said he has not had the time to read over the entire budget, he said the proposed tax increases are not solutions to problems facing the city.

Councilman Bob McGoff said he hopes there is some type of collaboration between the council and the administration so the problems of 2011 can be avoided.

Council President Janet Evans also focused on finances and said lenders want to see the city to complete its 2010 audit.

Meanwhile, Councilman Frank Joyce, finance chairman, asked that each council member provide suggestions on how to change the mayor's budget.

"Simply saying no to the mayor's budget is not a viable solution if you don't have a plan," Mr. Joyce said. Mr. Joyce described any council members saying they want to lower taxes and reinstate all of the workers without a plan in place as "simply rhetoric and grandstanding."

McClatchy-Tribune News Service