BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Paying firefighters better is back in the spotlight after another big rally last week.
At Tuesday night’s Brevard County Commission meeting, a county commissioner who rallied with the firefighters will lead the search for solutions to getting firefighters a starting wage that’s better than just $15/hour.
Commissioner Katie Delaney told News 6 reporter James Sparvero that could possibly mean raising taxes.
The commission agenda reads “leaders will consider increasing the fire assessment.”
Delaney said raising taxes is a last resort and believes the problem can be fixed with multiple options.
“With the improved impact fees, with curbing some of our spending, I’d like to see some other ways, first, but at the end of the day, we have to decide as a community, how important is public safety to our community. And if we don’t do something, we’re gonna find ourselves in a really bad place,” she said.
When it comes to impact fees, Delaney said she doesn’t think residents should have to bear the burden, themselves.
When it comes to curbing spending, Delaney said she’s taking a closer look at the county’s budget to find any areas where there might be wasteful spending, and then using that to better pay the firefighters.
At last Thursday’s rally, Delaney called Brevard County Fire Rescue the best-trained fire department in the country.
“Our people are pretty incredible,” she said. “They work 48 hours straight, and that takes such a toll on our people, and it’s not right. We shouldn’t be asking them to give up everything for their community for nothing in return.”
More than 100 employees have left Brevard Fire Rescue since its stalled contract negotiations with the county started more than a year ago.
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