Geneva city council approves new contract for firefighters, lieutenants

Pay for Geneva firefighters and fire lieutenants will be raised 2.25 percent this year, under the terms of a four-year contract the city council approved Monday night.

The new contract, which is retroactive to May 1, also calls for the city to fill three vacant firefighter/paramedic positions. A new firefighter is to be hired by July 1, a second by Jan. 1, 2017, and the third by Nov. 1, 2017.

Starting pay for a firefighter/paramedic will be $60,958, and $92,214 for a lieutenant.

The contract allows for seven levels of pay for firefighter/paramedics, and four for lieutenants. Employees can advance a level based on how well they do their jobs, as determined by annual reviews.

Pay rates would increase 2 percent in the second year of the contract, 1.5 percent in the third and 1.75 percent in the fourth year.

Pay for a Level 7 firefighter/paramedic would top out at $93,477 in the fourth year of the contract, and $111,949 for Level 4 lieutenant.

As for filling the vacancies, there is a provision that would let the city out of that. If the state withholds or reduces revenues it pays to the city, such as state income tax or motor fuel taxes, by more than 10 percent in a year, the city won't have to add the positions.