B.G. will vote again on income tax boost

BOWLING GREEN - A year after city voters rejected a 0.08 percentage-point increase in the local income tax rate, City Council plans to ask again.

Council voted 7-0 Monday night to place the same increase on the November ballot, this time earmarking the funds for the fire division rather than for the general fund and making the tax permanent rather than for three years.

"It is the same amount that was on the ballot last November that was rather handily defeated, but the message is different," said Councilman Bob McOmber, who is chairman of the finance committee.

"Last time, the money would have gone into the general fund, and the message to citizens was we need to have this money to avoid cutting anything. … This time, the money is designated for the fire levy fund."

After last year's defeat, the city reduced services as promised.

It eliminated funding for a July 4 fireworks display, cut heavy trash pickup days from three a year to one, and reduced brush pickup to one day instead of two, among other things.

The proposed income tax increase would raise the local rate to 2 percent from 1.92 percent and generate about $600,000 a year.

If it fails, the city would have to lay off some firefighters and/or funnel more money from the general fund to the fire levy fund, city officials have said.

"One thing working against us is the city has done a pretty good job of addressing financial problems in ways citizens don't notice," Mr. McOmber said.

But, after accepting wage freezes in 2009, many of the city's unionized employees are receiving raises of 2 percent this year.

Also during its meeting Monday night, City Council voted 7-0 to approve a 2 percent raise effective Dec. 27 for 21 electric-division employees.

The employees, represented by the Bowling Green Municipal Employees Association, also are to receive three additional vacation days a year, said Barb Ford, personnel director.

The raises will cost the city $26,645 - money that will come out of the electric fund, said City Administrator John Fawcett.

Mr. McOmber said the city's hands "are somewhat tied" when it comes to raises for unionized workers because the city cannot just dictate wages.

"If financial management was the only concern, I wouldn't give any wage increases to any employees in 2010 … but the reality is that labor relations and the collective bargaining process come into play," he said.

A proposal presented to the city patrol officers "that was in line with what our other unions have accepted" was rejected by that union on Sunday, Mr. McOmber added.

Firefighters accepted a wage freeze this year, he said, and about half of the 66 members of the Bowling Green Employees Organization were granted a 1.5 percent raise retroactive to April and a 0.5 percent raise that is to take effect at the end of the year.

"I don't feel that a modest 2 percent increase after two and a half years is an exorbitant expenditure, and I would ask voters to keep in mind this is negotiated through the collective bargaining process," Mr. McOmber said.

Contact Jennifer Feehan at:

jfeehan@theblade.com

or 419-724-6129.