OXNARD : Fire-Police Merger Hearing Delayed

A showdown over a plan by the city of Oxnard to merge the fire and police departments was postponed Tuesday for three weeks after the City Council asked for more time before addressing the subject.

A hearing on the money-saving proposal has been scheduled for Feb. 1 at the council’s 7:30 p.m. session.

The delay occurred when the council turned down a plea by Bill Gallaher, president of the Oxnard Firefighters Assn., to shift a hearing scheduled for Tuesday’s afternoon session to the evening to accommodate a large turnout.

Tempers flared after City Manager Thomas Frutchey asked Gallaher to call off a telephone campaign by supporters of the firefighters who oppose a merger.

“Clerical staff on (City Hall’s) fourth floor is essentially not getting anything done,” Frutchey said. “If we could stop the campaign, then the City Council can discuss this rationally.”

Several council members suggested that city firefighters were transferring telephone calls to the city manager’s office, and questioned whether the firefighters were conducting political activity on city time.

Gallaher denied the charge. Later, at an impromptu rally outside City Hall attended by more than 100 firefighter supporters, he said emotions are running high over the issue.

“Quite frankly, we’re upset about the postponement,” he said. “We have a lot of people who came here tonight to speak. This is very, very inconvenient.”