[redwitch]

If what I've been reading on this issue is accurate, there is something seriously wrong.

1. The Villages fire fighters are the lowest paid not just in the Tri-County area, but all of Central Florida.

2. The Villages has an exceedingly high turnover rate. It seems that many use TV for training and then move on to other fire departments for better pay and retirement benefits.

3. We are seriously understaffed.

4. Under the new negotiations/contract to date (arbitration to come), new hires will start at a higher rate of pay, old employees are not getting increases.

If these facts are correct, there is something seriously wrong. We deserve to have the best fire department possible-- not one staffed by people who leave as soon as they feel are fully trained. Our fire engines need to be fully staffed -- not just two individuals per truck. Our emergency response providers deserve to be paid at least as much as those in surrounding communities, if not more.

I really don't understand how TV can budget hundreds of thousands for landscapers but not budget fair wages for those hired to protect that property and the individuals who use that property, including those who reside here.