LORAIN — Eleven police officers who were facing layoffs had their jobs saved Thursday when the city and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 reached an agreement to pay their salaries and benefits with money generated by the police levy rather than from the general fund, Safety Director Phil Dore said.

In 1995, the FOP and the city settled a lawsuit and agreed that 90 officers’ salaries, benefits and other operating costs would be paid out of the general fund. Any additional officers’ costs would be borne by the police levy, passed by voters in 1992. The city can’t afford to pay for 90 officers right now, Dore said.

The levy, which is a 0.25 percent income tax, generates approximately $2.2 million annually and is primarily used to buy equipment and pay for some dispatchers, training, new hires and a small amount of overtime.

“Obviously, we’re glad we could reach this agreement,” said union President Buddy Sivert. “This concession freezes the money in the levy fund we use for equipment, training and new hires. We don’t like to do that, but with the shortage of manpower we have right now, any more layoffs would be devastating.”

Dore agrees it’s important to maintain the current number of police.

“This agreement is going to enable us to keep the manpower steady for the remainder of the year,” Dore said. “We don’t think we would have been able to afford the hit if we’d had to lay off 11 police officers. On the other hand, we couldn’t afford to employ them. We’re pleased we could reach this agreement to get them switched over to the levy fund. The community is better off.”

The department currently has 96 full-time officers, Dore said. The 11 officers would have been laid off at the beginning of June but weren’t because this agreement was expected.

“This will put everything off, at least for the remainder of the year,” Dore said.

The agreement takes effect today and ends Dec. 31. The agreement also stipulates that if the city’s revenues increase, the levy fund will be reimbursed for expenditures related to the 11 police officers.

“The firefighters made their concession, and this is our concession,” Sivert said. “It’s good for the citizens.”

Firefighters agreed to give up a pay raise and cut benefits to prevent layoffs that would have taken effect in May.

Sivert said the department needs some new cruisers, guns and bulletproof vests, but said using the levy funds to keep officers on the payroll takes precedence right now.

“We see what the situation is in the city with all the violent crime right now,” Sivert said. “I can’t even imagine what it would be like with fewer officers. When manpower gets cut, services decrease for minor crimes, and that’s just the reality of decreased manpower. I’m glad (layoffs are) not hanging over our heads anymore.”

Contact Alicia Castelli at 329-7144 or acastelli@chroniclet.com.

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