Woodinville Fire District Chops Two Positions, More Changes Coming

Deputy Fire Chief Mario Acosta and Emergency Manager Dee Totten (who was hired less than a year ago) will soon be out of a job with Woodinville Fire & Rescue. The board of commissioners voted unanimously Monday to eliminate those positions as part of a cost-cutting pairing down of the administrative staff that was inflated under former Chief I. David Daniels.

The board said the rationale for the changes was “to implement a phased reorganization of the administrative support structure of the District by December 31, 2012 for the purpose of achieving fiscal sustainability by .” The District's union has already voted to merge with Bothell ().

Fiscal projections reviewed by the Board of Fire Commissioners in public session at the April 7 retreat projected a structural deficit under current staffing and service levels that would require increases in fire benefit charge revenues no later than 2014 and beyond. (This revenue stream is subject to renewal by voter referendum in the 2013 election cycle.) These projections do not include the loss of revenue from the City of Bothell’s proposed annexation, according to Deputy Chief Mark Chubb.

Another phase of the reorganization involves the creation of two new positions: one for administrative support and the other to assist with financial analysis, human resources compliance, reporting and audit. This will result in the elimination of other positions currently staffed by employees represented by IAFF Local 2950.

“The existing collective bargaining agreement with represented employees contains provisions governing severance in the event positions are eliminated or service levels are altered”, said Chubb. “State collective bargaining law requires the employer to negotiate the impacts of decisions resulting from either action: downsizing or changes in service levels. These negotiations will have to address the allocation of remaining responsibilities and the scope of new job descriptions for the two positions being created as a result of the Board’s decision.”

He added that he expects employee representatives to request bargaining over how the District implements the staffing cuts and what, if any, rights employees have to the new positions being created. At Monday’s meeting, Commissioner Mark Emery asked that current employees be considered for those jobs before a search was done outside the District. 

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