Mayor Mike Bell is the former fire chief. On Tuesday Deputy Mayor Steve Herwat spoke on behalf of Mayor Bell at the Ohio Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee hearing.
Senate Bill 5 aims to eliminate collective bargaining privileges for workers employed by the state of Ohio.
In a release, Herwat said, "Mayor Bell has told our public safety forces that there is no way he can ever pay them enough for the job they do. But the practical reality is that we can only afford to pay these dedicated public employees within the constraints of the revenues that our taxpayers are willing and able to pay."
He continues, "The collective bargaining act must be modified to reflect the ability of local governments to pay for the terms of the contracts."
Dan Wagner, head of the TPPA wrote to 13abc from Columbus. "I believe the testimony today was rhetoric and unsupported. Thursday's testimony will be educational and the turning point," he wrote.
A spokesperson for the city said Herwat's comments were not meant to be for or against Senate Bill 5. They were merely meant to explain the city's experience with collective bargaining over the past year.
