Finance committee backs 2026–27 firefighters’ contract after brief dispute over pay language

The Cheyenne Finance Committee on July 7 recommended that the governing body approve a 2026–27 collective bargaining agreement between the city and Cheyenne Firefighters Local 279.

Mayor Patrick Collins summarized the contract’s key changes, saying the agreement adds several three‑year rotational positions (including a battalion chief of support, captain support, training coordinator and EMS coordinator), raises minimum daily staffing to reflect an added EMS support squad, and provides across‑the‑board market raises. “We did come to an agreement at the end,” Collins said, and added that the contract includes a 3% market raise for most classifications, 3.5% for captains and 4.75% for battalion chiefs to address compression.

Collins described other changes intended to help recruitment and operations: an improved pay schedule for probationary firefighters, amendments to vacation and accrual rules, limits on last‑minute overtime cancellations, and a new mandatory medical expense reimbursement plan (MERP) that the city and fire department each contribute to. He said the MERP is intended to give retiring members a benefit to pay eligible medical expenses.

The mayor also acknowledged a remaining disagreement with the union over whether the city’s July 1 pay action constitutes a cost‑of‑living adjustment (COLA) that should have flowed to union members under previous language. “The union believes that the salary increase we gave the employees starting July 1 was actually a COLA,” Collins said, while the administration treats it as a market increase; he said unresolved issues would go to arbitration if necessary.

Chris Tomes, who identified himself as president of Local 279, told the committee the union would allow the agreement to move forward “in the best interest for both parties” but asked that a footnote on page 28 referencing an email from Chief Dichhorn dated 12/23/2023 be removed because, he said, “this footnote does not contribute to the substance of the collective labor agreement.” The mayor said the footnote was included to explain why the city had been operating under a 22‑person minimum staffing assumption and that it documents how the city arrived at that figure.

Council members asked questions and expressed appreciation for staff work on a lengthy negotiation. After public comment and brief discussion the committee moved to recommend approval; the motion passed unanimously in committee and will be forwarded to the governing body for final action.