Posted on 06/04/2012 10:35:30 AM PDT by Kaslin
The city council of North Las Vegas, the 4th largest city in Nevada (population 216,961) voted unanimously to suspend collective bargaining agreements made with public unions.
In spite of having the highest property tax rates in the county, the city's budget is in a mess, wrecked by the busting of the housing bubble.
According to Wikipedia the city's budget deficit was $8.6 million. A budget balanced through personnel layoffs was passed last May, but judges reversed some of those pink slips, creating a financial emergency that could require the state to take over North Las Vegas' finances.
In response, the city decided to take matters into its own hands. City Manager Tim Hacker said the city was in a state of emergency and cited Nevada law NRS 288.150(4)
"A local government employer is entitled to take whatever actions may be necessary to carry out its responsibilities in situations of emergency.....such as a riot, military action, natural disaster or civil disorder."
With NRS 288.150(4) as the rationale, the city council unanimously passed Resolution 2475 suspending collective bargaining agreements as follows.
Resolution 2475 temporarily suspends certain terms of the City's existing collective bargaining agreements with the North Las Vegas Police Officers Association ("POA"), the North Las Vegas Police Supervisors Association ("PSA") and the International Association of Firefighters Local #1604 ("IAFF") beginning July 1, 2012. The suspended terms include only those that have the affect of increasing the City's labor costs in FY 2012/2013 including cost of living adjustments, merit pay, holiday sell-back pay and uniform pay.I commend the actions of the North Las Vegas. Unions are up in arms, but they are the one who helped wreck the city.
The City's tax revenue has fallen sharply as a result of the recession and its tax base deterioration has been among the worst in the nation. The City's property tax revenue has declined by 37.1% from a high $62 million in 2009 to approximately $39 million in 2012. Similarly, consolidated tax revenue declined by 30% from a high of $54 million in 2006 to approximately $38 million in 2012. As the same time, labor costs have continued to increase largely due to automatic cost of living increases and other benefits specified in the City's Collective Bargaining Agreements.
The long knife falls on another public union. I’m sad. /sarcasm
What would be interesting is if there was like, you know, a presidential campaign, and that someone decided to make this a really central issue to their campaign.
Shoot, what am I thinking? That’ll never happen.
Judges be damned. - Impossibility is a legal defense.
Public Unions be damned - no money no payee.
If they want to push matters just quit & step down.
Dissolve them all!
Unions seek to replace local government prerogatives with collective bargain contracts. When left-wing democrats are in power, they set up contract arrangements that give away the store to the unions. When they’re voted out, the contracts remain in force. The unions then hire the politicians into very cushy jobs, funded with tax money. The new administrations can’t do diddly about it.
Thanks Kaslin.
“Judges be damned. - Impossibility is a legal defense.”
If a judge interferes again, arrest and jail him! Oh, I forgot, it’s the cops that are taking it in the shorts! The mess that’s been created is much bigger than these “city managers” ever imagined. But the money has run out, so there are few options left.
Hopefully this “temporary measure” lasts as long as temporary tax hikes.
Perhaps it's because of...
Will the Mayor be recalled??
Can someone explain how a layoff can be reversed by a judge if it is done absent discrimination or the like?
Breach of contract
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