Daily News

Panel says Genesee Legislature should impose union wage freeze

By Paul Mrozek

The Genesee County Ways & Means Committee has recommended the full Legislature enact a one-year wage freeze on the county's largest union.

Ways & Means made the decision at its meeting Wednesday, after hearing from County Manager Jay Gsell.

"We are suggesting the Legislature impose the same terms and conditions in the current contract," Gsell said.

If lawmakers opt to do that the next step would be to return to collective bargaining "in the very near future," the county manager said.

The county and Civil Service Employees Association Local 819 general unit have been at odds since the union declared a bargaining impasse in December 2008. The general unit's 315 members have been working without a new deal since Dec. 31, 2008.

The proposed wage freeze is for the year 2009.

Under ordinary circumstances, if a new contract is enacted after the old one expires, employees would be eligible for retroactive raises. That will not be the case for Local 819 if lawmakers follow the recommendations of Ways & Means.

Under civil service law the county can impose a one-year wage freeze after the two sides try mediation and fact-finding through the state Public Employee Relations Board, both of which occurred with the general unit.

Major issues in the stalemate include raises and starting wages for new employees.

The county wants new workers to be paid 10 percent less than the hourly rates called for under the expired contract.

The other county proposal is for 2 percent annual raises, but they would start July 1 instead of Jan. 1 of each calendar year.

The union has rejected the county's positions. General unit president Debbie Long has said the union does want to create a tier of lower-paid employees because it will divide the membership.

The average wage of employees in the CSEA unit is $17.30 per hour.

The union's decision to turn down the county's offer started the mediation and fact-finding processes through PERB. Fact-finder Michael Lewandowski recommended in favor of the county on both issues but his report is not binding on either party.

The general unit represents county employees such as cleaners, custodians, case workers, nurses, clerks and probation officers.

In other matters at Wednesday meeting the Ways & Means Committee:

-- Received an update on the Board of Elections from commissioners Dawn Cassidy and Richard Siebert. The department has purchased eight new ballot scanners, software for the machines and other needed equipment at a cost of about $165,000.

The purchases were paid for with federal funds the county received under the Help America Vote Act, Siebert said.

The switch from the green mechanical voting machines to electronic ballot scanners will also mean a change in polling sites in four communities. New locations were required because more space was needed for the electric cables that connect to the scanners, Siebert said.

The target date for full use of the new voting equipment is the September 2010 party primaries.

Siebert and Cassidy said their office is now getting pressure from towns to have the county remove the old lever machines from their premises.

"They want them out of the way," Siebert said.

-- Recommended that the Legislature accept two federal grants on behalf of the Highway Department. The two grants, which total about $1,083,000, are for work at the County Airport.

Batavia Town Board agrees to split cost of preparing consolidated charter.

By Roger Muehlig

The town of Batavia will pitch in half the local share of costs to pay a consultant to help prepare a consolidated charter that would provide the basis for a proposed merger of the town and city.

Town Board members unanimously approved the town's $2,750 contribution during a special meeting Wednesday.

Supervisor Greg Post said wording in the resolution was a consensus of what the board agreed to at its last several work sessions.

The city and town intend to enter into an intermunicipal agreement to appoint a task force to draft a consolidated charter for the two to merge into a single government, subject to a referendum, the resolution says.

The city, it says, plans to apply for funding under the state's Local Government Efficiency Grant Program to retain consultants to facilitate the process of preparing the charter that would be the basis for such a merger.

Consulting services are estimated at $55,000. The city will apply for a maximum grant of $49,500, putting the local share at $5,500.

The board approved providing half of the local costs. City Council informally agreed to the city's half share last week.

Town Supervisor Greg Post said a joint committee would be appointed to establish guidelines for selecting members of the task force. The selection committee would consist of the town supervisor and two members of the Town Board, he said, plus the City Council president and two members of the council.

The committee would interview prospects for the task force and select eight people, four from the city and four from the town, for council and board approval, he said.

Post, who acknowledged being "pretty excited'' at the development, said he hoped the task force could be finished with its work by the end of 2011 and that a proposed consolidated charter could go to voters in 2012.

Brocton looking at teacher cuts, tax hikes

By JOAN JOSEPHSON

With the exception of Brocton Teachers Association President Deborah Lloyd Priest, none of the audience attending the Brocton budget workshop Thursday questioned proposed staff and program cuts.

Lloyd Priest called the cuts serious and significant. She asked to meet with the Brocton School Board in executive session to discuss alternative solutions. The board agreed to meet with her.

What had her concerned were what superintendent Jack Skahill called "possible reduction discussion items" the board asked him to develop.

This included reducing the teaching staff by five, thus increasing the faculty cuts to a total of 10.

At the previous budget workshop, Skahill said the school's retiring business education teacher and elementary teacher will not be replaced. Neither will the vacant Spanish teacher position. Positions held by an academic intervention service teacher and a teacher's aide will be eliminated as well.

At Thursday's budget workshop, Skahill the board was considering reducing five more teaching positions, three pupil personnel service positions, two non-teaching jobs and two contractual positions for a total of 12 more slots.

Also suggested was the closing of the school's swimming pool and the elimination of co-curricular positions and athletic expenditures.

These proposed cuts reduce expenditures by $611,863 with the possible budget's bottom line coming in at $14,348,352.

Skahill said with the anticipated $9,903,081 in revenues and $550,000 in reserve funds used to reduce taxes, the possible tax levy is $3,895,271

"All of this reflects a proposed budget that is $449,840 less than this year's budget but it will still see a tax rate increase of approximately 12 percent," he said.

Speaking out about this, were board members Harry Watters and David Hazelton.

Watters said he would not vote for a 12 percent tax increase and Hazelton said, "Our job is to educate our children. I won't cut teachers to preserve sports."

When Bill Westin asked how much was included in the proposed budget for pay raises, Skahill said negotiations with various groups will be held this coming year and he didn't want to discuss this.

Westin said he understood, but another audience member said perhaps the groups the school board would be negotiating with could accept no pay increase.

Skahill said under state law, this wasn't possible.