HAMMOND | With the clock ticking toward the Dec. 1 deadline for submitting its heavily amended budget to the state, the City Council on Monday threw cold water on Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr.'s latest attempt to raise Fire Chief Dave Hamm's salary to achieve parity with Police Chief Brian Miller.
In August, McDermott's proposed 2009 budget had Hamm jumping from his annual pay of $70,000 to $82,400, but the council later nixed the request, bumping Hamm to $72,100.
In recent weeks, the budget as passed in late September has undergone an overhaul to correct errors and omissions approved in error.
Among the changes was adding contractual parity requirements established in both departments' collective bargaining agreements.
On Monday, McDermott argued against a motion by Councilman at Large Robert Markovich to delete mention of the parity clause. The inclusion would have ensured Hamm reached parity with Miller.
McDermott argued the council risked a lawsuit for violating the firefighters' contract requirements, but the council ultimately rejected approving the amended budget until the dispute over the parity clause was resolved.
Unless the council met in special session prior to Dec. 1, voting down the amended budget on Monday put the budget at risk of going to the state at the amount approved in September.
Repay said the issue was fairness, and the council had agreed to only 3 percent raises for everyone.
"Hopefully there can be some reconciliation between today and (Dec.) 1st," he said.
"If Dave Hamm wants to sue us, that's a chance we'll have to take," Councilwoman JoAnn Matonovich said.
In a flurry of eleventh-hour motions, the council ultimately approved the budget after deleting the parity clause, reducing Hamm's salary back to $72,100.
The next move belongs to the mayor, who could opt to veto the measure.
The issue first surfaced in February with the city floating an ordinance to achieve parity between the two chiefs. The council in effect rejected the measure at the time by not bringing the proposal to a vote.
