BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg Fire Union President Jason Bouchard says one firefighter is interested in taking the $25,000 incentive proposed by City Manager Stephen Jellie.

“Your retirement incentive offer of $25,000, despite its lack of proper proposal, approved funding, guarantee by council, and contingency upon the Financial Restructuring Board, has garnered interest,” Bouchard said in an email to the city manager.

“As the media as my witness, I am providing you notice that one of our members is expressing his desire to accept this offer. This person has reached out to the New York State retirement system and is prepared to go.”

Jellie offered the incentive on Christmas Eve, a previous offer of $20,000 did not garner interest from the union members.

Despite the notice that one firefighter was interested in taking the offer, Bouchard expressed concerns regarding the timeline, which required the offer be accepted by Dec. 31.

“Furthering our Union's lack of faith with city administration, the accelerated timeline to retire within seven days is simply unacceptable,” Bouchard said in an email to Jellie. “You expedited the original offer, for what reason? If the city is truly trying to work with our eligible members, to prevent layoffs, why give merely seven days?”

Jellie could not be immediately reached for comment, but has repeated many times that he is hopeful layoffs could be avoided in lieu of retirement incentives.

The city is set to cut seven positions using civil service criteria as required under state law, but the retirement could reduce that number to six.

According to Jellie, layoff notices were being prepared Dec. 29 and were expected to be delivered this week.