Unions targeted in budget battle

DOWNTOWN TOLEDO - Members of Toledo unions took center stage in the Toledo budget battle Tuesday night. This work comes as Toledo tries to plug a roughly $28 million hole in the budget.

At some points Tuesday tonight, it seemed like the City Council would vote on some of Mayor Carty Finkbeiner's cuts, which include pension cuts, salary cuts, and layoffs. The council eventually decided to wait. There was some worry any vote would violate union contracts. Those same union got a warning.

"The bottom line, as difficult as it is to say, the city of Toledo cannot afford the contracts that currently exist," said Councilman Joe McNamara.

"We understand what's going on nationally with the economy. It's a temporary problem and we're not about to give permanent concession for a temporary problem brought about by this administration," said Dan Wagner of the Toledo Police Patrolman's Association.

Wagner says his members won't accept the proposed 10% across the board pay cut.

We need to do something to save money for citizens and we think this is an appropriate place to look at those cuts," said Bob Reinbolt, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner's Chief of Staff.

That salary cut is for 12 months or until new deals can be reached. Police, for example, have been negotiating for one since March of 2008.

"We have ideas out there that would save the city just as much if not more money but yet because they're not Carty's idea, that he's trying to jam down our throat. They're not acceptable to him," said Wagner.

"I think it's important that we all sit down and think about what's best for the citizens of the city of Toledo and figure out how we're going to accomplish that. If there's other ways of doing that, we're open to that discussion. At this point in time we have not seen them and we've not seen the unions come forward with them," said Reinbolt.

"We don't have the money that the bargaining units seem to think we have," said Councilman Mike Craig.

"There's no hidden piles of money. There is no major thing that can be shifted around," said McNamara.

Reinbolt says if deals can't be reached with the unions more layoffs will be necessary, more than currently projected.