St. Louis Firefighter Jobs Appear to be in Danger, Again

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- This week, it looks again like the city will lose 26 firefighters over the next fiscal year.

Last week, aldermen had forwarded a plan to save the positions. That plan, worth $4.235 million in total, spent money the city wasn't certain it would have -- savings from Mayor Francis Slay's fire pension overhaul bills, which have not passed the Board of Aldermen, and face a near-certain lawsuit if they do.

Today, at the city's Board of Estimate & Apportionment meeting, Slay moved to approve the restored firefighter positions, among other portions of the aldermen's plan.

But Aldermanic President Lewis Reed said that using such a tenuous stream of money wasn't responsible. He and Comptroller Darlene Green refused to second Slay's motion.

All three instead voted to rely on $1.65 million in anticipated savings from a different -- and also not-yet-passed -- bill to approve another portion of the aldermen's plan, saving 30 police officer jobs, a Circuit Attorney clerk, a liquor control officer and some grass cutters in the Forestry Division.

"To approve more would be buying in to this 'pie-in-the-sky thing,'" Reed said, referring to Slay's pension reform proposal.

Green and Reed both said that the second bill, on the other hand, is a near certainty.

That bill, sponsored by Alderman Joe Vaccaro, also attempts to reform the fire pension system. It focuses on preventing the abuse and overuse of disability retirements, and has already passed the state legislature.

But it got stuck at the Board of Aldermen -- which also must pass it into city law -- when Slay introduced his competing overhaul bills.

Green said she and Reed sent a message to aldermen today to pass Vaccaro's bill.

"I hope aldermen will do the right thing and at least approve that. We know we have that certain savings of $1.65 million," Green said. "All I'm saying is, 'Let's get what we know for sure, guys.'"

"We know doing this now sends a clear message to the board," she said. "We're covered. We acted very responsibly."

Reed said the firefighters were still hoping a federal grant could cover the lost jobs. He wasn't sure how prospects looked, however.

Today's Estimate & Apportionment proposal will now return to the aldermen's Board of Ways & Means for another round of approvals.

Copyright 2012 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

McClatchy-Tribune News Service