Austin Firefighters Association Says Nay to Proposition A

Austin Firefighters Association president Bob Nicks announces AFA's opposition to Proposition A at an Oct. 1 press conference (Photo by Austin Sanders)

Members of the Austin Firefighters Association have voted to oppose Proposi­tion A, the citizen initiative backed by Save Austin Now and the Austin Police Associ­a­tion that if approved by voters would require the city to hire around 500 new police officers.

The city's budget office estimates that complying with Prop A's mandate of 2 police officers per 1,000 Austinites and a minimum of 35% "uncommitted time" for those officers, along with other provisions, could cost up to $120 million in each of the next five years. At a press conference announcing the results of the vote, AFA President Bob Nicks stressed that the outcome reflected the union's problems with the proposed initiative, not with the police force. "We consider Austin police officers our brothers and sisters," Nicks told reporters. "Fire­fighters are very disturbed by the disrespect shown to men and women of the police department of late." However, Nicks said, Prop A is a "poorly written law that contains cost escalators," like the "uncommitted time" requirement, which would likely push the cost of the measure well beyond what would be needed to maintain 2.0 staffing.

Following a town hall on Sept. 20, which hundreds of firefighters attended virtually and in person to hear from opponents and supporters of Prop A, union members were asked if they wanted the AFA political action committee to spend no more than $15,000 to oppose the measure, or to remain neutral. About 600 of AFA's 1,100 members took part in the vote, with 57% agreeing to oppose Prop A.

Nicks said the AFA PAC will produce videos and digital ads intended to convey the message that firefighters do not oppose a fully funded police department, but that Prop A is a "bad law that will actually hurt public safety overall," because it could force budget cuts to fire and emergency medical services, as well as other city services. Nicks added that AFA PAC would accept financial contributions from others wanting to oppose the measure, so long as the AFA board deems that the contributors have been "respectful to police officers." "We hope to be a trusted source that can provide true and vetted information to the public on Prop A," he said, and "help people see through the lies and confusion" surrounding the ballot measure.

Police union President Ken Casaday said the results of the vote were upsetting, because the APA remained neutral last May as the firefighters won voter approval of their own initiative (also Proposition A) to increase their power in collective bargaining with the city. With that power, AFA can push for firefighters to enjoy pay parity with police officers, which could also force other city departments to trim their budgets.

Selena Xie, president of the Austin EMS Association, told us that despite the AFA vote, her union has thus far decided to stay out of the Prop A campaign and will likely remain that way. Xie acknowledged she has concerns about the budgetary impact Prop A would have on EMS, which has also struggled to fill vacant positions and seen its medics working more overtime without financial incentives. But the strong views held by many about Prop A mean "it's become an emotional issue," Xie told us. "Due to our short staffing and increased amount of overtime medics are working, it's just not our top priority right now."