Firefighters working for the OC Fire Authority are set to see their pay go up nearly 25% over the next five years after their board signed off on a major new contract just after their own two month vacation, despite questions from some board members on the financial impacts.
Staff from the fire authority noted the new raise will come out of their member cities’ coffers.
“OCFA salary cost increases result in corresponding increases to cash contract city charges,” a staff report reads, with a June report noting that the cities contracted with the OCFA can expect to see their bills go up by nearly 25% over the next five years to offset the raise.
That raise won’t apply to all of OCFA’s member cities, some of which don’t have contracts with the fire authority but instead pay them directly out of property taxes from homeowners through the structural fire fund.
Some concerns are surfacing around the raises as some city officials say the increased cost is going to put significant pressure on already stressed municipal general funds.
It comes at a time when cities throughout Orange County are struggling to stay above water while a handful of cities are asking voters for various tax increases this November.
What’s in the New Contract?
The contract is an over 200-page document between OC Fire Authority and the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association – detailing raises, employee benefits and more.
All union members will receive a 4.5% raise each year for the next five years, totalling out as a 24.6% raise after factoring in compound interest.
That will cost around $313 million of raises over the next five years according to a June staff report, with funding coming from the fire authority’s 23 member cities.
The contract will also fully fund bereavement leave for up to 20 days and fund retirement plans almost entirely, while pregnancy and parenthood leave will be paid leave for the first 24 hours. The rest of the period will go unpaid.
Chris Hamm, president of the OC Professional Firefighters Association supported the contract and called on board members to ratify it at the meeting.
“It’s time that we start prioritizing our people over property, and I think this MOU does just that. Not only does it do that, it does it while fully funding our retiree healthcare fund liability. It funds our retirement to 99%,” he said.
OCFA Deputy Chief Robert Cortez says the board previously approved the economic framework of the contract during the June meeting, adding that last Thursday’s vote was focused on finalizing the language of it.
“In summary, the proposed MOU (contract) provides long-term labor stability, codifies the parties’ negotiated operational framework, and establishes defined processes for items that require future joint action,” Cortez said during the Sept. 24 meeting.
The contract will last for five years – set to begin on March 19, 2027 and last through March 11, 2032.
The Concerns Over the New Contract
While most members of the board fully supported the new contract, Directors Mark Tettemer and Robert Frackelton expressed their concerns over the short amount of time the document was on their desks and the contract cities in the county that use OC Fire Authority’s services.
Tettemer — who’s also a Lake Forest council member — voted against the new contract, saying the five-year term is longer than he’s comfortable with. He added that the OC Fire Authority’s budget doesn’t fully reflect the capital demand on the organization.
“I’m happy to give raises. But I’m concerned about the convergence of a number of things on this budget for this organization and what it may mean in the long run,” he said during the Sept. 22 meeting.
Frackelton — who’s also a Villa Park city councilman — abstained from the vote, saying he felt there was too little time to read the document. During the meeting, he tried to get the board to table voting on the contract until their November meeting. His motion failed.
“The Board was provided all 200+/- pages of the new MOU less than a week before the vote,” Frackleton wrote in a Tuesday email. “The contract is not up until March 2027, so I fail to see why we should be in such a rush. It would be nice to carefully review the MOU, ask questions and be prepared to vote for what’s best.”
In the email, he wrote that all cities in Orange County will benefit from OC Fire Authority’s firefighter recruitment and retainment, but he suspects contract cities will see steady increases to share the burden of higher costs.
When asked if he would vote yes or no if he had more time to look over the contract, Frackelton wrote it was “moot point, regretfully.”
OC contract cities are already gearing up for the increased charges.
In Stanton, one of the county’s smallest cities, the rising costs will be paid through the city’s general fund, according to officials.
City Manager Hannah Shin-Heydorn says the costs will put significant pressure on the city’s budget that needs to be handled carefully.
“The City Council has also maintained prudent reserves as an important safeguard against unforeseen circumstances and economic volatility,” Shin-Heydorn wrote in a Tuesday email. “Those reserves provide financial stability, but the City’s goal is to maintain structurally balanced ongoing operations rather than rely on reserves to fund recurring cost increases.”
Firefighter’s Union Donated to Many Board Members
Many of the board members who voted in favor of the raise received campaign funding from the firefighters union.
Buena Park Mayor and OCFA board member Connor Traut received the most support, with the union spending over $380,000 on ads supporting his run for county supervisor this year, according to campaign finance disclosures.
In a text after the meeting, Traut said that public safety is a “necessity” and noted that the city’s new sales tax measure would help cover their increased costs.
“OCFA provides strong regional fire service with predictable costs, including a low annual cap for cash-contract cities, and its pension paydown has already helped reduce costs,” Traut wrote. “As we prepare future budgets, police and fire will remain at the front of the line.”
They also spent nearly $200,000 supporting Supervisor Katrina Foley’s reelection campaign according to disclosures, who missed the meeting and did not vote on the salary increase, but did vote to approve an outline of the deal at the board’s June meeting.
The union also maxed out direct donations to several city council members on their board, including Cypress Councilman David Burke, Seal Beach Councilwoman Lisa Landau, Irvine Councilwoman Betty Martinez-Franco, Aliso Viejo Councilman Mike Munzing and San Clemente Councilman Victor Cabral according to campaign finance disclosures reviewed by Voice of OC.
All of them voted yes on the new contract.
The union also donated $160,000 directly to the Democratic Party of Orange County and $99,000 to the Republican Party of Orange County this year.
Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org.
Sara Leon is a Voice of OC reporting fellow. You can reach her at sleon7903@gmail.com.
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