Government
The Frisco Fire Fighters Association collected more than 5,000 signatures across two petitions asking for civil service and collective bargaining for re ghters to be added to the May general election, association representatives said. “It’s going to be nice to nally get this on the ballot and let the citizens decide what kind of voice they want their re ghters to have,” association President Matthew Sapp said. City o cials have 40 working days to present the signatures to Council, according to Texas law. Association members submitted the petitions Aug. 21, giving Frisco’s city secretary until Oct. 17. City o cials have declined to comment. Petitions could put re item on May 2024 ballot
The context
Frisco’s association members have been working to put civil service and collective bargaining on a ballot since 2020, Sapp said. They will potentially be on the May ballot as two di erent items. • Civil service: A system with a three-citizen commission to assess the hiring, ring and promotion of re ghters. Under Frisco’s current system, city o cials have that power • Collective bargaining: A system allowing both the re department and the police department to become their own bargaining agents when it comes to agreements on wages, sta numbers and recruitment. Associate members believe civil service elimi- nates favoritism, association Secretary Treasurer Dustin Allen said.
Frisco association representatives submitted the two petitions on Aug. 21.
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July 11, 2023 Signature collecting began
Other North Texas cities, such as Plano, operate under a civil service system for both police and re departments. Texas cities use civil service to negotiate re ghter and police o cer working conditions and pay, said John Riddle, president of the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters, in an emailed statement. “In Texas, 83 cities rely on some form of civil service in the re service,” Riddle said.
The Frisco association’s website will be updated to a campaign- style format as the city continues verifying the petition signatures. Some initial petition information has been removed from the website, but residents can still enter their contact information if they have questions. More updates are expected to come after the city veri es the signatures.
Aug. 21, 2023 Petition submitted to the city
Oct. 17 Frisco’s deadline to certify signatures
May 4, 2024 Election day
SOURCE: CITY OF FRISCO COMMUNITY IMPACT
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