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Union leader urges task force to prioritize public safety as LIT structure changes
Summary
Jason Cha, president of IFFF Local 1348, told the MUST meeting that Delaware County's fire and EMS departments face staffing and pay pressures and urged leaders to prioritize public‑safety funding in the task force's recommendations.
Jason Cha, identified in the transcript as the union president of IFFF Local 1348 representing the Muny Fire Department, urged the MUST panel to prioritize public safety when modeling new LIT distributions.
"Public safety is the number one priority and responsibility of local public administration," Cha said, adding the county's departments are busy and face recruitment and retention challenges. He said his department handled more than 18,000 calls last year and noted that pay differentials have led neighboring departments to recruit away local staff.
Cha urged the task force to consider funding flexibility and to keep police funding in scope as the county models municipal and countywide options. Multiple elected officials and the mayor also urged collaborative solutions and recommended that the task force consider making public‑safety allocations more flexible or larger to avoid undermining emergency response capacity.
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