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Firefighters don't want raise vote Mayors comments made prematurely, association says

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L O C A L N E W S

Fri, December 28, 2001

Firefighters don't want raise vote Mayors comments made prematurely,

association says

Lynda Stringer, , , Times Record News

Wichita Falls firefighters are not looking to put a raise request

before voters in May even though Mayor Jerry Lueck has said he plans to do just

that.

Lueck said he intends to put the issue on the May ballot to get

the firefighters a raise, but the Wichita Falls Professional Firefighters

Association said Thursday his comments were made prematurely.

The group's president, Lt. Nick Hillner, said Thursday, " The

bottom line is, we don't have any plans yet. "

Hillner and Bobby Whiteley, the group's legislative director,

said they hadn't even talked to the mayor before he announced his plans " out of

left field " last week, and they wondered what kind of support he had among the

council members.

Whiteley said when he talked to the mayor, Lueck claimed to have

the support of three council members and just needed one more to put it on the

ballot.

" But, when I talked to the council members, no one had a clue

what he was talking about, " Whiteley said. " (The mayor) doesn't even know what

we want, he hadn't even asked us what our issues are. He came from left field

and doesn't have the support of the council. "

Lueck could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Council member Bill Altman said he's talked to all but two

members of the council and those he spoke with were not aware of the mayor's

intentions.

Whiteley said he didn't get a sense from his conversations with

council members that the association would have their support.

" The council is a non-factor as far as we're concerned, " he said.

" I feel the council wants us to take it to the people for a vote. They don't

want to take the heat if taxes go up. "

Altman said he would not support putting the issue on the ballot.

" Generally absent a law requiring us to call a special election

or absent a petition process, I'm elected to vote to represent my district, " he

said. " I'm not saying I would never do it, but I can't think of why I would. "

The association hasn't given up on pursuing a raise; they just

aren't interested in it going on a May ballot already crowded with the city

council and mayor elections.

" The May election is going to be a rock fight, " Whiteley said.

" We don't want to be anywhere close because we feel we have a positive image in

town. "

Hillner said the group would wait for the outcome of the school

bond election in February and the May city elections. " We'll also look at the

economy, " he said. " We don't want to be a burden on taxpayers. "

If they were to be on the ballot in May, Whiteley said, the

association would want to write the language.

What the firefighters want is salaries equal to other

firefighters in cities the size of Wichita Falls. The group is in the process of

gathering information on firefighter salaries, but Whiteley estimated Wichita

Falls firefighters' salaries are 9 to 18 percent behind the average in all

ranks. The battalion chief falls behind even farther at about 20 percent, he

said.

Hillner said the group is not dissatisfied with City Manager Jim

Berzina's recent 9.5 percent raise because " that's the same thing we've been

trying to get, in line with cities our size, " he said.

The last time the group had a referendum on raises in 1994 it

cost them $20,000 for their campaign. They received $250 a month

across-the-board. It would cost about $25,000 if they went through the process

again, Hillner said.

Staff Writer Lynda Stringer can be reached at or

by e-mail at stringerl@....

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