ST. LUCIE COUNTY — The Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Local 1377’s executive board has authorized polling all union members on a vote of no confidence in Fire Chief Jeff Lee, Fire District Attorney Kim Sabol and Assistant Fire Chief Brian Gonzalez.
The action approves the start of the membership voting process. It does not represent a completed vote of no confidence by the union’s full membership.
Union representatives will bring ballot boxes to each fire station so members can cast their votes. Because collecting ballots throughout the district takes time, the union has stated that it will announce the results at the October St. Lucie County Fire District Board meeting.
A union calls for a vote of no confidence to determine whether concerns about leadership are shared broadly among its members. The process gives employees a collective voice and a formal means of asking the governing board to address concerns about leadership, accountability and trust.
Such votes can seek corrective action, an investigation or a change in leadership. For example, Austin firefighters used a no-confidence vote to urge their city council to investigate their chief’s decisions during a flood response.
Under the process described for the St. Lucie County vote, 85 percent support would bring the question of the three officials’ continued employment before the Fire Board. The union vote itself would not terminate anyone. Decisions about continued employment would remain with the Fire Board.
The October announcement is expected to establish whether the required level of support has been reached and provide the board with the membership’s formal position.
Background source: Austin American-Statesman, reporting on the Austin firefighters’ no-confidence vote. https://www.statesman.com/news/article/austin-fighters-no-confidence-resolution-chief-20765182.php