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Firefighters Seek To Burn Funes In Election

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By LAURA KINSLER

lkinsler@tampatrib.com

Published: February 1, 2009

ZEPHYRHILLS - City Councilman Manny Funes is about to learn a valuable lesson in local politics.

Don't tick off the firefighters' union right before you run for re-election.

Shawn Baptist, president of the Zephyrhills Professional Fire Fighters, Local 3884, said the union will work tirelessly before the March 16 election to defeat Funes.

Qualifying for the city election starts Feb. 10, and Baptist said the union is trying to recruit someone to run against Funes.

The firefighters think Funes, who was elected in November to fulfill the unexpired term of Daniel Burgess, is working behind the scenes to eliminate the city's fire department.
Funes e-mailed City Manager Steve Spina last month to ask how much the city would save if it turned its fire and rescue services over to Pasco County.

"What would be the City's Budget for Fire Service if the City of Zephyrhills accepted consolidation with Pasco County?" he asked.

Union members also think Funes was behind Spina's decision to add a question to the city's annual citizen satisfaction survey about eliminating the department. Spina agreed to rewrite the survey question after firefighters protested during Monday's council meeting.

Funes, a former law enforcement officer, said he has nothing against the city fire department. He said he made the inquiry about consolidating fire services after being requested to do so by some of his political supporters. He declined to identify the supporters.

The fire department's annual budget is about $2.5 million. Spina told Funes that eliminating the department would save city taxpayers roughly $2.4 million.

But Fire Chief Keith Williams said those figures are flawed because they don't take into account several ongoing expenses for the department, such as vehicle leases. Besides, if Pasco County took over fire protection, the county would raise its millage rate for city residents.

"What the City Council would be doing would be trading one tax for another," he said.

The city charter requires a unanimous vote by City Council to eliminate the fire department.

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 779-4617.

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