A Syracuse Common Councilor is delaying a vote on a tentative contract with the police union, saying the total cost of the agreement might be much more than originally estimated. Finance committee chairman Tim Rudd says instead of $12 million, it could be more than $20 million.
His expertise lies in cost-benefit analysis and municipal finance. Rudd says the deal leaves out some key expenses.
"There's certainly going to be a huge financial impact from longer term pension payments, and that's not accounted for at all in the current cost estimate. So I think we need to have an understanding of what that impact will be."
The 4.5 year contract includes a retroactive 2.5% pay increase for 2018 and two percent raises through mid-2022. Rudd says combine that with new educational, language, longevity, and rank differential incentives, and the city could be on the hook for millions of dollars in additional pension contributions and payments. In return, new officers will pay more for health insurance, receive fewer sick days, and be required to live in the city for five years. Rudd says there seems to be an imbalance.
"I can understand if we're getting equal weight value in the contractual changes, and I don't think we've done due diligence to understand that we are."
For example, he questions the true benefit of the residency requirement.
"We're getting five years of residency so we have to understand what the value of that really is and whether we have any kind of enforcement or compliance. Because there are certainly some people who work for the city who have residency requirements who skirt the residency restriction. So are we really going to pay a whole bunch of money for this thing that may not change anybody's behavior?"
Only councilor Steve Thompson, a 34-year veteran of the police department, questioned Rudd’s assertions at yesterday’s study session. The contract has already been approved by union membership, and was due to be approved at the council’s upcoming Monday meeting. Rudd wants to schedule two additional committee meetings prior to any vote.
