Mayor Mark Holland says some KCK Fire Department jobs will be phased out over the next several years as a way to take on spending issues in the city.
Mayor Holland released a statement on Friday detailing some of the problems the city is facing.
According to Holland, public safety accounts for around 60% of the total KCK budget.
A recent audit highlighted how the KCK Fire Department is spending its money, and some of the findings are now being used by the city to show how more can be done to save money.
One finding showed many firefighters trading shifts with others, but not properly reporting the change. The trading shifts system is legal, and has been in place for years.
However, the audit report showed that the system was responsible for around $1 million going towards firefighters who didn’t work, as well as a record amount of overtime pay.
“I believe we should pay people who work,” Mayor Holland explained. “I don't think we should be giving tax payer dollars to people who aren't at work. It's really a system we need to correct.”
KCK Fire Chief John Paul Jones responded to the criticism of the shift trading system by saying it helps firefighters manage their busy schedules.
“The system has been around for decades,” he said. “With the 24/7 schedule, 365 days a year, weekends, holidays, it allows a little bit of flexibility."
The report also pointed to the large amount of firefighters in KCK as a spending issue.
According to statistics cited in the report, KCK has around double the amount of emergency staff compared to Olathe & Independence combined, both cities with a similar size to KCK.
Mayor Holland said the large number of firefighters would not mean jobs would be cut, but he said several jobs may be phased away in the years to come to make the city more in line with desired levels.
Chief Jones said a big reason for the large number is the fact the fire department has an EMS division.
“Neither one of those two fire departments has an EMS transport division. KCK does,” he said. “That brings a lot of additional personnel you need to a have a transport division. You need a lot more resources because you're doing the EMS transport along with the first responders."
Mayor Holland said the spending of the KCK Police Department will be focused on in the fall.
He hopes the issues brought up in the reports are reflected in the next public safety contract.
“I want to level the playing field and make sure all of us are working the same direction and working in a sustainable manner,” said Mayor Holland. “If we're going to bring down our taxes over time, we're going to have to look at every department, especially the largest ones, and see where we can find efficiencies."
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Tom Dempsey can be reached at Tom.Dempsey@KSHB.com.
