ORANGE : Council to Vote on Firefighters Contract

The City Council is expected to vote at 7 tonight on a $21.2-million, two-year contract with the city’s firefighters.

If approved, the action would effectively squelch mounting community pressure to contract with the county for fire services--a move proponents say could save the cash-strapped city $2 million a year.

In spite of a series of layoffs and service cutbacks, Orange still must close a $2.1-million shortfall in its $47-million 1993-94 budget.

According to a city staff report released this week, the proposed firefighter contract calls for changes in overtime and personnel procedures that would result in $1.8 million in savings for the city over the next two years.

Members of the Orange Taxpayers Assn. were angered at the last council meeting when the body declined for a second time in a month to discuss the county fire contracting proposal, being pushed by some residents.

The group charged that some council members are dragging their feet on the proposal to repay a political debt to the firefighters. The firefighters union supported Mayor Gene Beyer in last year’s election.

Beyer and other council members deny the accusation.