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Help Stop Dangerous Layoffs in Minneola, Florida
September 3, 2008 – If the Minneola, Florida City Council has
its way, the fire department is in danger of losing a third of its fire
fighters. But, Minneola Local 4638 is fighting back and is calling on fellow
IAFF members to join in demonstrations outside city hall September 6 and
September 15.
“We are a small department of just nine fire fighters,” says Al
Anderson, president of Local 4638. “If we lose any of our fire fighters, we will
be severely limited in what we are able to safely do at the scene of any
emergency. We are hoping that the presence of our brother and sister fire
fighters will demonstrate to our city council members how crucial fire fighters
are to public safety.”
Because of recent Florida property tax reforms, cities are
getting less funding from the state. In Minneola, the budget is short $1
million.
To offset the budget shortfall and to continue fully funding the
fire department and the parks and recreation department, the City proposed
increasing the City millage from 3.73 to 4.5. If passed, the average homeowner
would have paid out just $32 extra tax dollars per year.
However, in a recent city council meeting, three of the five
council members refused to support the millage increase and submitted a budget
without any adjustments to the City’s taxes. Without the millage increase,
Minneola will lose one-third of its fire fighters and the entire public and
recreations department.
Local 4638 members and other fire fighters from around the
region are staging a demonstration outside city hall during the first reading of
the budget on September 6, beginning at 8:00 a.m. and again at the second
reading and vote on September 15 at 5:00 p.m.
For more information, contact Local 4638 Public Information
Officer Vance Flummer at (352) 223-1810. The address is:
Minneola City Hall
900 North U.S. Hwy. 27
Minneola, Florida 34715
To donate to the campaign, make checks payable to:
Minneola Professional Firefighters
Local 4638
P.O. Box 998
Minneola Fl. 34755
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