Job Cuts Finally Hit the Fire Department.
The Lisle-Woodridge Fire District Board of Trustees approved a major reorganization plan at their March 24, 2015 meeting that eliminates several jobs.
The reorganization plan was recently posted on the LWFD website and comes about 9 months after Moody's downgraded the District's financial rating due to underfunding its annual pension payments.
The reorganization plan calls for the elimination of company officer positions in order to free up sufficient funds to make required pension fund payments.
"In order to meet the fiscal demands... the rank of Captain shall be eliminated."
There are currently 5 officers holding the rank of "Captain" and those positions will be eliminated when the individuals who are currently holding the positions are "promoted, demoted, retire, resign, or otherwise terminated from service."
The reorganization Ordinance does not outline the cost savings from the elimination of positions. According to the posted compensation disclosure, (note: this is for 2013; current total compensation report has not been posted online) the position of "Captain" had a total compensation package of $144K - 155K per year. This could amount to a shift of about $750,000 per year from employee salaries/compensation to be used for pension funding. There were a total of 117 positions on the LWFD payroll in 2013 (not including paid trustees).
No long term financial plan has been publicly approved by the LWFD Board.
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