Group of Hillsboro employees drafting petition for council consideration

A group of employees with the city of Hillsboro is drafting a petition to present to the Hillsboro City Council, asking them to look at all sides and consider who will be impacted in decisions regarding the the current budgeting issues and the pending resolution proposing the city disband Hillsboro Fire and Rescue and contract with the Paint Creek Joint EMS and Fire District for services.

Heather Flint, a special administrative assistant II who works in the city's administrative office, said that the petition was her idea.

"I did come up with the idea, only because council needs to see every side, and as of yet, we (the employees) haven't been brought into this, and we are very much a part of this. Some of us could lose our jobs," Flint said.

Flint, speaking from the city building offices Thursday afternoon, said, "I am in no way, shape or form being vindictive to the firefighters, but I am concerned about my job, and some of the other employees feel the same way. We have been pretty quiet ... and we need to speak our minds also."

During council's regular meeting on Monday, more than 75 people were in attendance, with many of them wearing shirts that read "Save Our Fire Department." Approximately a dozen people spoke to council, with the majority saying that the city should keep the Hillsboro fire department and its 12 full-time firefighters. Approximately two people spoke out in support of Hillsboro Mayor Drew Hastings' proposal to contract with the fire district. In that same meeting, Hillsboro Auditor Gary Lewis said that the city is currently in its fifth year of deficit spending and that the fiscally responsible course of action is to contract with the district. In addition to joining with the district, Lewis said approximately 15 percent in cuts will have to be made to avoid a more than $400,000 projected general fund deficit by the end of 2013.

Flint said that the petition was still being drafted and had not yet been circulated. When asked what it ultimately would ask council to do, Flint said, "No comment."

When asked for the timeline in which the employees would anticipate presenting a petition to council, Flint said, "Well it's going to have to be as soon as possible, don't you think? That's just common sense. We're just working together as a group and trying to voice our opinions in a very professional way. We want (council) to see there are more sides than what they have heard."

Flint said that she wanted it to be clear that this is an employee initiative and did not originate with Hillsboro Mayor Drew Hastings.

"This had nothing to do in any way, shape or form with the mayor. His hands are completely out of this," Flint said.

On Thursday, Hillsboro City Council member Dave Shoemaker said that council is still trying to gather correct information and put financial documents into perspective in order to arrive at a decision.

"I understand everybody is scared of losing their jobs," Shoemaker said. "I understand the employees in the general fund departments may feel that the fire department has had it well, and to fund the fire department and to keep them here in the city, they are scared of losing their jobs. They think there are going to be cuts across the board in order to make up payroll."

Two special meetings of council have been scheduled, for Friday and Monday at 6 p.m. in the Hillsboro Municipal Courtroom in the Highland County Justice Center.

There are many sets of numbers, Shoemaker said, and council is still gathering information.

"Every time we go somewhere we seem to get a different number," Shoemaker said. "Council members have been presented with numbers from the mayor and from the fire department, but we haven't found an in-between. It's tough to make a decision when you don't feel like you have exact, accurate numbers."

Shoemaker said that hearing from constituents and decisions is important, and if council is presented with a petition, it will be looked at.

"They are employees of the city, and some of them are also citizens of the city," Shoemaker said. "Yes, it is going to be taken into consideration. Somebody who says they wouldn't take it into consideration would be foolish. Because it's our city employees, and because it's our city residents they serve, they have a stake in this."