Naperville cop union head feeling more 'optimistic'
Vince Clark woke up a slightly more optimistic man Wednesday than he was on Tuesday.
The Naperville police union president said he believes Tuesday evening's informational picket, consisting of roughly 450 residents and police officers, and the support the union received at the city council meeting has forced some city officials to “change their direction” regarding the elimination of eight police positions six by layoffs and two by not filling vacancies.
The layoffs were announced last week, days after the city approved a three-year contract that gives officers raises of 3.3 percent for 2009-10 and 3 percent in both 2010-11 and 2011-12. It also calls for a 50 percent increase in police personnel health insurance premium contributions, to 15 percent from 10 percent of the total premium cost.
“Last night I didn't know what to think but today I'm pretty optimistic regarding where we go from here,” Clark said. “I think our supporters got their point across and the ball is now in the council's hands.”
Clark said the union and its supporters will be visible at both the city council's scheduled Nov. 30 budget session and the Dec. 7 council meeting in hopes the city gets good budget news or decides to take a different approach to layoffs and look to other departments.
“We have a vested interest in this budget workshop and the results it produces. And from what I heard (Tuesday), every city employee should have the same interest,” Clark said. “We're all looking for the other shoe to drop.”
City Manager Doug Krieger appreciates the optimism but said he doesn't want to give anyone false hope about avoiding layoffs.
“I will be presenting an overall solution which balances the budget for the Nov. 30 workshop,” he said. “The last thing I want to do is raise false hopes for impacted employees but I am hoping to get some finality out of the workshop.”