RESOLUTION NO.________, SERIES 2014
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A RESOLUTION TO LOWER THE TAX BURDEN ON THE LOUISVILLE METRO TAXPAYER THROUGH ENCOURAGEMENT TOWARDS RECTIFICATION OF ONGOING LITIGATION WITH LOUISVILLE FIREFIGHTERS.
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SPONSORED BY: Council Member David James
WHEREAS, the Louisville Metro has engaged in ongoing litigation with Louisville firefighters for multiple years; and
WHEREAS, Louisville Metro has spent nearly a half-million dollars on outside lawyers to defend itself in a series of lawsuits over the past five years while the assessed tab for taxpayers continues to grow; and
WHEREAS, approximately $350,000 has been paid to the Plaintiff's attorney during Louisville Metro's unsuccessful defense of the firefighters' lawsuit regarding back pay for firefighters in a dispute originally filed in 1999; and
WHEREAS, the litigation involved the miscalculation of overtime pay for firefighters in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act; and
WHEREAS, the Fair Labor Standards Act was applied to fire departments and other municipal employees starting in 1986; and
WHEREAS, Jefferson Circuit Judge ruled that Louisville Metro and the former City of Louisville, unlawfully calculated the pay to firefighters dating back to 1985 causing Louisville Metro to negotiate with two groups previously in 2009 and 2010; and
WHEREAS, on June 29, 2012 a Jefferson Circuit Judge ruled that Louisville Metro owed the retired firefighters interest for the underfunding of their pension requirements over decades laying out the terms of repayment and how the interest should be paid; and
WHEREAS, there is a possibility of additional court ordered interest to be paid to firefighters on the interest and judgment paid into court due to Louisville Metro's appeal of the order, which may be in the amount of 12% or approximately $2,300 per day; and
WHEREAS, taxpayers are held financially responsible ...
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