Committee Approves Firefighter Settlement But Not All Funds

The Louisville Metro Council's budget committee has approved a settlement with firefighters on back overtime pay, but it's not yet decided exactly how the city will foot the bill.On Wednesday, the committee approved a plan to pay 45 million dollars to about 800 firefighters for years of miscalculated overtime. The first third of the money would be paid out of the general fund next month, but the committee has not yet decided where the remaining 30 million dollars will come from.Mayor's administration officials suggest the city issue bonds, but Councilman Ken Fleming would rather see the city tap its rainy day fund."We've got 65 million dollars," he says. "Why are we going to bond processing?"Budget Director Jane Driskell says that would be unwise."If we use that rainy day fund for this, which would take the majority of the account and we need to go back with another natural disaster, with another event, that rainy day fund is going to be [depleted]," she says.Driskell and other city officials will return to the committee before January 15th to present more options for paying the settlement. The full council will vote on the committee recommendations next week.