The City of St. Louis wasted little time in challenging new residency rules for the city’s fire department, which go into effect August 28. The lawsuit, filed in Cole County, comes less than a week after Governor Jay Nixon signed a bill into law allowing department employees to reside outside city limits.
In criticizing the legislation, deemed an infringement of the city’s charter by the state, Mayor Francis Slay vowed from the onset to challenge its passage.
The suit comes as the city grapples with a $46 million budget gap. A preliminary pay plan to address the issue, unveiled to the public at a Civil Service Commission meeting Wednesday night, calls for reducing vacation days and cutting pay for firefighters, including a night-time differential for night shift work. The firefighters union, International Association of Firefighters Local 73, feels the city is unfairly targeting them over other city departments. Jeff Rainford, Mayor Francis Slay's chief of staff, counters that all departments are being asked to cut costs equal to the rise in employee benefits, and that firefighters are being treated as equitably as other city employees.
Part of the fight over residency rules for firefighters involves the already tight salaries for some, who must send their children to private school due to the lack of accreditation of the city’s public schools. Allowing firefighters to live outside city limits and in other school districts is seen as a means to ease the situation.
Currently, no hearing is scheduled for the city’s lawsuit.
Comments
Okay this is the last of my pow wow- Stop WASTE and ABUSE of spending money on things you really don’t need and on people that you need to keep the City of St Louis fire free and respond (their job) to save your people in any type of medical emergency unless you rather let your people die because there are no one to respond because you plan on taking away so much of their pay, sick and leave time that no one wants to work for the City of St Louis as a Fire Fighter. Protect the people that protect YOU!
Thank you.
Mayor Slay is also claiming that Firefighters only work from 6 days to 9 days - but they work a straight 24 hour day so that means they work 3 days in one day – so in reality they work about 214 hours per month and they put their lives on the line to protect the people of the City of St Louis. I would love to see the 28 Aldermen, the President and Mayor Slay don a firefighter suit and do their job for one day (remember one day equals 3 days). Do you honestly think you could do what they do? Mayor Slay stop screwing with your important city officials and start thinking about what you can do to save money instead of giving yourself and the Aldermen raises. It doesn’t make sense since you and your 28 people are not the ones protecting your CITY!
I am so happy to see this bill signed and finally give the Fire Fighters what they deserve regarding living with their families like all the Aldermen get to (28 Aldermen in City of St Louis) however, I am not happy about Mayor Slay wanting to file a law suit against the State for as he more and less claims Jefferson City over stepping into his area and not to mention wanting to take away some of the firefighters sick and off days. Mayor Slay is saying they need to cutback because they are behind on money well why don't you get rid of 22 of your Aldermen and allow 6 to stay plus the President which means there would be 1 Alderman per 58 thousand people since City of St Louis has about 350 thousand this would save money since the Aldermen - which is a part time second job gets 40 thousand a year and not to mention just got a raise - raise for what this could be given to the firefighters who protect you and your property! Mayor Slay what are you doing to your firefighters who protect you!
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