Fayetteville firefighters get an apology, promise of pay raise
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- More than 100 Fayetteville firefighters packed City Hall Monday for a City Council work session on next year's city budget, and they heard an apology.
"I hope you understand the true support that you do have in this government," said Fayetteville City Manager Ted Voorhees.
Voorhees said he should have told council members that remarks made about the city's firefighters at a budget work session last week were inappropriate.
"While I did not say anything I am ashamed of, anything like that," Voorhees said. "I could have stepped in the breech and defended you and for that I apologize."
There has been a public backlash over the off-hand comments. In the informal work session's audio recording, several city council members questioned whether firefighters should get a raise in next year's city budget because many of them work other jobs to supplement their pay.
"They only work 120 days a year, and that gives them a lot of extra time," said one council member at the work session. You can hear another voice say, "It's like being retired and still working."
City firefighters called the remarks disparaging and insulting.
"For comments like that to be made, whether they were taken and made in fun or were serious, they really did hurt," said Fayetteville Professional Firefighters Association President Frank Kocsis.
Kocsis and other firefighters packed council chambers Monday in a silent protest. Their message got through loud and clear to the mayor and city council.
Mayor Nat Robertson told the firefighters he appreciated them, and in an interview with ABC11 apologized for the council's off-hand remarks.
"You know a lot of our work sessions are casual and we speak openly, there were maybe some things said that would not normally have been said in a formal setting," said Robertson. "Certainly, we appreciate everything firefighters do."
Fire Chief Ben Major said his firefighters appreciated the apologies.
"I think our firefighters... it's good for them to hear an apology," said Major. "I realize some of it was said in jest, but still to people it hurts."
City leaders said 2016 budget proposal includes an average overall pay raise for firefighters of 3.6 per cent.
