NEXT YEAR’S BUDGET…APPROVED BY THE BURLINGTON CITY COUNCIL LAST(MON) NITE…INCLUDES A 13-CENT PROPERTY-TAX HIKE. IT ALSO MEANS A NUMBER OF FEES ARE GOING UP.
NEXT YEAR’S SPENDING PLAN ALSO CUTS THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS REQUIRED PER SHIFT FROM 10 TO NINE…A MOVE UNION LOCAL-301 REP. BRANDON HOWARD SEES AS DANGEROUS…AND NOT JUST TO THE PUBLIC.
BUT IN THE END, THE COUNCIL STUCK WITH ITS PLAN TO CUT 25-THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT’S OVERTIME BUDGET AND TO ALLOW AS FEW AS NINE FIREFIGHTERS-PER-SHIFT.
