Redding City Council Tables Ballot Measures

Thursday, February 18, 2010

REDDING - On Tuesday, February 16th, the Redding City Council made several changes to address another financial shortfall in the City Budget. This time the fix did not include the June 2010 advisory ballot measures that would have had citizens making decisions for the City Council on employee pensions and retiree healthcare. City and County Labor unions have been hammering at the Council since October 2009 when the idea of an advisory ballot measure was first announced by then Mayor Rick Bosetti. The Labor Councils pushed back when the City proposed what unions saw as their concession money, to be used in a useless ballot initiative. “Our labor Unions have been making concessions to help with the City budget”, stated Chris Darker, Vice President of the Five Counties Central Labor Council. In exchange, the City Council is asking City unions to begin paying the employee share of their CalPERS Retirement to help with a $2.3 million shortfall. The council voted 3-2 on this demand with Dickerson and Stegall voting against the strict guideline. Stegall said, “If unions make another concession equal to $2.3 million, I don’t want to say no”. The Ballot measures could come back for the November 2010 ballot if the City doesn’t get the concessions it needs. Redding has already cut $16 million from the general fund since 2007.