CCFD Board President Gralinski Formally Responds to Firefighters Union Court Filings

The following is a statement by Fred Gralinski, President, Central Coventry Fire District, in response to court filings by Firefighters Local 3372:

"Our Board is dismayed by the lengths the firefighters union leadership will go to maintain the status quo at the Central Coventry Fire District through these filings with the court. 

The fire district board proposed a budget at $5.6 million, essentially the same level as 2010, and this was approved by voters by a wide margin just a few weeks ago. Due to exceedingly poor management, and capitulation on an exceedingly generous union contract, in just two years we now have a fire district that would require a budget of $7.2 million.

The voters have spoken time after time since May and said that the taxes required to fund the district at this level were unacceptable. Yet the union persists, refusing to accept that significant cuts in manpower and changes in operations are necessary for the approved budget to work.

We hope that the Court will see through these tactics, and press the union to do its part to maintain fire and emergency services at a reasonable cost the taxpayers will accept."

Editor's Note: Gralinski also offered an earlier statement Wednesday, which can be found, here