Published: January 23, 2008 08:39 pm      

Danville rescinds ordinance, does away with fire, police PERF

DANVILLE — On Tuesday, the Danville town council voted 3-2 to pass Resolution No. 2-2008, repealing its December decision to join the 1977 Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Pension and Disability Fund.

The council room was packed with supporters of both departments, and a collective, dejected sigh was heard when the vote was taken.

Mike Neilson, the town council member who suggested the resolution at a town meeting two weeks ago, said he doesn’t like how things turned out but feels it was the best decision to make.

“Nobody feels good about it,” Neilson said. “We hate to say no. But we have to do what’s right and responsible.”

During the meeting, Jerry Harder approached the board with one last plea. Harder is president of the Hendricks County Professional Firefighters Local 4406 of the International Association of Firefighters, which represents professional firefighters from Avon, Brownsburg, Danville, Pittsboro, and Plainfield.

“This is their future,” Harder said. “We’ve had an opening now in Danville for three weeks and have only had two applicants. The benefits aren’t good enough.”

Harder noted that the 77 PERF would provide both an optimal retirement package for both departments as well as care for their families in event that something should happen to them. He said he was disappointed with the council’s decision.

“The previous town council obviously thought this was a good idea,” Harder said. “One member comes in and votes against it, and two of the members who voted against it have a PERF specifically made for them. A department with poor salaries and no benefits does not attract firefighters. They are going to have to reconsider in the future. They won’t have a choice.”

Harder, as well as the Fire Chief Mark Morgan, both emphasized the significant increase in runs this year, and the shortage of staff to make those runs. The Danville Fire Department made 1,500 runs with only three firefighters on staff in 2007, their busiest year yet.

They said they fear that current employees may make decisions to transfer based on the absence of a 77 PERF.

“This is a setback in the direction we’ve been trying to take the fire departments and its future,” Morgan said. “It’s very disheartening. I do think we’ll lose additional employees. The younger guys will be faced with a decision as they approach 35 because you can’t join 77 PERF after that. We’ll still keep fighting fires and saving lives, no matter what happens. I can’t be any more dignified than that.”

Danville Police Chief Keith Gill agreed with Morgan.

“We’ve taken a step back,” Gill said. “But every single guy will do what it takes. They’re my guys, and I’m disappointed when I can’t take care of them the way I would like.”

Devon Bancroft, a Danville firefighter, accepted a job two weeks ago with the Brownsburg department. He said the benefits there are a better fit for his priority list.

“I have two small girls and a wife,” Bancroft said. “They are my first priority. I don’t want to be 75 years old carrying a fire nozzle into a house. My co-workers are going to be forced to look elsewhere soon for a job. No one wants to come here because we have nothing to offer.”

Neilson acknowledged that there may be a backlash in the departments as a result of the council’s decision.

“Will people quit?” Neilson said. “I hope not. We hate to lose any personnel. But they have to take care of themselves economically as well.”

Danville Clerk-Treasurer Amy Roberts said an excess levy, granted for the second year, would have been able to fund 14 employees at 21 percent. The availability of the levy would have also freed up money from the General Fund for up to $65,000 and the additional $18,000 reimbursed by Center Township.

Harold Adams with the Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police Administration also offered additional information about a pension relief formula from the state lottery built into the 77 PERF that had not been considered.

“It’s like a rebate allocated from the Hoosier Lottery that goes into the pension fund,” Adams said.

But council members Richard Burrows and Jeff Martin voted with Neilson to rescind the 77 PERF.

Burrows said his decision was based on the availability of money.

“It might work in the future,” he said. “But we want to see a higher PERF for all the employees. Not just a few. We all work together.”

Neilson emphasized that the council is not taking anything away from either department by rescinding the 77 PERF. The fire and police departments still have civilian PERFs, he said. While it isn’t the best plan, he said, it’s what the town can afford at the moment.

“We try and pay the best wage we can,” Neilson said. “If our tax base was structured differently and we could offer more with certainty, then we should do all that we can. But we have no way of knowing how many employees we may hire or how many others may want to get on the PERF plan. We also don’t know what could happen to property taxes once the new school comes online and what the state legislature will do. We have 7,000 people in the town of Danville and we have to be a town that makes the best decision.”

Harder countered that he feels the council’s decision to rescind the ordinance was a political one.

“It’s not over with,” he said.

jamie.hergott@flyergroup.com