City Council rejects Fall River mayor’s home-rule petition request to allow early retirement for firefighters

Jo C. Goode
Herald News Staff Reporter
Posted Mar. 14, 2014

FALL RIVER — Mayor Will Flanagan’s plan for a home-rule petition that would offer senior firefighters an incentive to take early retirement as the fire department faces deep cuts failed this week after the City Council voted it down in a 4-4 split.

Voting against the home-rule petition, which would give senior firefighters five years toward their pensions, were councilors Linda Perreira, Raymond Mitchell, Michael Miozza and Daniel Rego. Voting in favor were council President Joseph Camara and councilors Pat Casey, Paul DaSilva and Jasiel Correia II.

Flanagan needed the approval of the council before sending it to the Legislature, although it appears there is little appetite at the Statehouse to pass the petition.

The mayor announced at the end of February that in fiscal 2015, he would cut 60 firefighter positions, leaving a complement of 153, as a more than $14 million SAFER grant expires in July.

Until December, firefighters said Flanagan had promised the city would fund a fire department of 200 firefighters.

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