Excerpts from the Heraldnews.com:

The Joliet City Council approved its 2016 budget Monday, and opted not to close Fire Station No. 3 on Laraway Road, a move designed to save $1.2 million in overtime costs. City officials said they still expect to reduce overtime costs, and the station could be closed later in the year if they can’t.

Keeping the station open follows the council’s earlier decisions to block a proposed 5 percent increase in the city property taxes and a proposed increase in the real estate transfer tax. All three decisions increased the budgeted deficit for the General Fund, which is now at $6.8 million. The city will cover the deficit with reserve funds.

The council met in closed session for more than a half-hour before voting on the budget. Fire Chief Joseph Formhals was included in the session, making it apparent that the discussion was about Fire Station No. 3.

Mayor Bob O’Dekirk said later … the city will look for concessions from firefighters on manning requirements that are driving up overtime costs. But, he said, the $900,000 now in the fire department overtime budget is a hard number. O’Dekirk said that the station will be closed if overtime runs over budget again this year.

Formhals said he plans to reduce overtime in the meantime by replacing two trucks with a quint at Station No. 9 and reducing manning requirements there.

thanks Dan

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