City deal smells like politics
The $8 million settlement reached between Mayor Tim Keller’s administration and the Albuquerque firefighters union may be on the up and up. The administration says it was the best way to settle a longstanding dispute.
But on the surface, one could wonder whether it was, in fact, a generous reward for the union’s ardent support of Keller during his mayoral campaign.
The settlement stems from a yearslong lawsuit filed after city officials under then-Mayor Richard Berry decided in 2010 to cut almost all employee salaries, including police and firefighters, due to a budget crisis. His predecessor, Mayor Martin Chávez, had signed a multiyear contract promising raises, but firefighters instead received a 2.47 percent wage reduction in fiscal 2011. Both the police and firefighters unions sued. The city police union settled its lawsuit with Berry’s administration in 2015 for $5 million and increased wages.
The firefighters union held off, and its gamble paid off eight weeks after Keller took office. Chief Administrative Officer Sarita Nair said the city “had a responsibility to both uphold a commitment that was made by the previous administration and reach an agreement that is fair for the taxpayers.”
But Council President Ken Sanchez was surprised by the settlement, insisting the city had the authority to cut firefighters’ pay due to the economic situation and may have prevailed if the dispute had gone to trial.
Instead, Keller — who as state auditor sounded the alarm on the multimillion-dollar shortfall in the city’s risk management fund that covers judgments and settlements — settled for $3 million more than what the much larger police union received.
It’s worth noting the firefighters pulled out all the stops to get Keller elected, creating the equivalent of a political action committee that spent thousands of dollars.
Keller — the only publicly financed candidate in Albuquerque’s mayoral race last year — promised to not be beholden to donors or special interests. This settlement suggests otherwise.