Firefighters will pay for health insurance

The fire board approved the union labor agreement, which includes no pay increases for firefighters.
The union also agreed to pick up the additional 8 percent hike in insurance costs for their dependents, according to the contract. It means nearly all district employees will pay a portion of their health insurance. That has not always been the case.
The board voted 4-1 to approve it Thursday morning. Fire commissioner Rob Giammarco, as he had promised, voted against it.
He insisted it didn't go far enough.
"I still think the time has come when the board has to show some initiative and help the taxpayers and we didn't," said Giammarco. "We need to reduce the (tax rate)."
The labor agreement between the Spring Hill Fire Rescue District and Professional Firefighters of Spring Hill Local 2794 applies to fiscal year 2009-10, which runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.
The union decided to remain with Blue Cross Blue Shield in spite of the insurance company's premium increases. Previously, they paid nothing for health insurance. The vast majority of them will soon pay some out-of-pocket expenses, which will cover the increases.
The district pays everything for an employee-only plan, but no more than a half-dozen firefighters choose that one, said Fire Chief Mike Rampino.
"We hardly have any single guys working here anymore," he said.
The district pays $427.76 for a firefighter using the employee-only plan.
The remaining firefighters will pay the additional charges for their dependents. Employee and spouse is a $34.23 increase, employee and child or children is a $28.16 increase and the family plan comes with a $69.59 increase.
The district, in turn, will pay $851.51, $776.04 and $1,288.56, respectively.
"It shows the union is working with the taxpayers," said Fire Commissioner Amy Brosnan.
"I think we should acknowledge that more," she continued. "Basically, they took a pay cut."
Giammarco thinks it is the district that should get a pay cut. The millage rate of 2.2686 will remain the same for the next fiscal year if the budget is approved next week.
One mill equals one dollar for every $1,000 of taxable property value.
He referred to the Hernando County School Board's efforts to reduce taxes from the previous year.
"When everyone is cutting back, what have we cut?" he asked. "We're in tough times. I'm not just looking at today, but I'm also looking at tomorrow."
Chairman Leo Jacobs was agitated with Giammarco's refusal to approve the contract. He said there were public meetings for months leading up to Thursday's vote and he should have been more vocal then.
He also admitted his patience has worn thin in regard to some members of the public who have regularly spoken out against the board and in his mind, "made personal attacks."
"It happens over and over and over again," he said. "It's hard for a fire commissioner to continue to put up with that."
The heated exchange between Jacobs and Spring Hill resident Ken Fagan, a regular attendee of fire meetings, continued outside the board room and into the parking lot.
"The man has a personal issue with me for some reason," Jacobs said. "You just don't attack a board member and yet he keeps doing it ... I don't have to take that from him as a public citizen."
Fagan could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Chief Rampino said he intervened by asking the chairman to return to the board room to "cool down." After that, Fagan left and there were no more confrontations, he said.
The chief downplayed the exchange.
"It certainly didn't take any time off my life," he said.