Jamie Page reports on his blog that at its Thursday Committee of the Whole meeting, Escambia County commissioners voted unanimously in favor of a request from County Fire Chief Frank Edwards to offer longevity pay to his volunteers. The final vote is next Thursday, Oct. 15.
When the ESCO negotiated its union contract, longevity pay was kept. Several commissioners and the local taxpayers association were upset. Let’s see if they protest adding longevity pay for “volunteers.”
Though I am not a fan of this bonus system, I can understand there are certain positions where longevity is an asset to the public. However, any longevity system should have an objective evaluation system – objective measurements–to verify that the employee should stay employed—or in this case, stay a volunteer.