Resort’s budget rises with $50K bonus in union deal

This time next year, as Ocean City government embarks on its annual budget journey, total expenditures for the career firefighter department should be less than what it will be in FY 2018.

When Chapter 4269 of the International Association of Fire Fighters voted to ratify its new contract last week, the package included a one-time $50,000 transitional bonus (not $500,000 as erroneously reported earlier) along with salary and cost-of-living increases over the next two years.

Finance Administrator Martha Bennett said that the fiscal impact of the contract for the new budget is a payroll increase of about $165,000. In FY19, however, the cost will be just $105,000 more than it was in 2016-17 fiscal year.

“The reason it’s lower in 2019 is because it does not include the one-time transitional bonus,” Bennett said.

Ocean City will pay the fire union $50,000 in October, and the IAFF will use the funding as it sees fit.

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