Providing these data is a beginning in developing a fact-based, hot-air-free discussion of labor costs and the municipal budget.

Most importantly, we must not misdirect our frustrations with our own economic difficulties at those who had nothing to do with creating the recession. Those who foster such misdirected anger are nothing less than agent provacateurs who would turn neighbor against neighbor. This we should not tolerate.

Thanks Kevin ......Great Job........I guess we all know now why anything that has any value for the community we have destroyed or severly cripple to make sure they protect and have enough budget to take care of their salaries and pensions.

Our Pools ......Parks.....Golf Course....Deferring most maintenance..... Hard not to be saddened by the situation we are in.

Alameda Employment Statistics
Population of Alameda

Average Income
Median for all workers $45,487
Median for all male full-time $60,701
Median for all female full-time $46,509

http://www.simplyhired.com/a/local-jobs/city/l-Alameda,+CA

Once the budget for next year is balanced, I would like to know, based on current, conservative financial estimates, when Alameda will be on a path that can justifiably be called sustainable.

The mayor has said that we're facing a problem created over a period of 30 years, and we cannot resolve it in one stroke. So, my question is, how long will it take, and what measures are being pursued to reach that resolution?

We will soon get financial projections/feasibility reports from consultants on various scenarios for Alameda Point. Why can't we get the same kind of reports that say if we do X, Y, and/or Z we get to sustainability in 5, 10, or whatever number of years? I think this would be in keeping with the spirit of the Fiscal Sustainability Committee.

Volunteer firefighting is a very rewarding and valuable way to serve your community.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, 71 percent of firefighters in the United States are volunteers.[1] The National Volunteer Fire Council represents the fire and emergency services on a national level, providing advocacy, information, resources, and programs to support volunteer first responders. The Firemen's Association of the State of New York (FASNY) provides information, education and training for the volunteer fire and emergency medical services throughout New York State.

We might look at adding some options like this to not BK city. Looking at these #'s doesn't look too much like serving the citizens as much as self serving themselves. I don't blame them. We have allowed it.

I would love to see this same list for the school district.

That is more sacred than the COKE recipe . I have been asking for two months Charles.

Hundreds of volunteers help keep city working

Hundreds of people are working for free in a new city volunteer program, in many cases doing work formerly performed by paid city employees.

The volunteers, who are being called on in response the city's chronic budget crisis, are scattered through a dozen city departments.

City officials would not say how many volunteers are doing formerly paid jobs, asserting the number is zero because the paid positions were eliminated from the budget before the volunteers were recruited.

The city launched a "new volunteer service program" in February, trying to provide "continued consistent services without using additional funds from the city's budget," City Manager Mike Letcher said in a news release.

Ridiculous, way over paid (grand total of 340K for Alameda cpt firefighter???, they call Oakland when there is a serious issue, they didn't even notify the population of the asbestos issue at the base??) , I would prefer to spend my money (taxes) on education than on the Alameda bureaucracy.

This is really representative of what is going on in all the US

As a reminder, a job isn't a due, it is really hard to generate money for living and paying all those taxes and medical insurance, and I feel sad to see people in the administration getting so much compare to the average Alameda salary and they do not produce much so they should stay a small % of the population (1 out 385 is way too high for such services), and too many receive a way too high salary and total compensation (2 to 5 time higher than the average Alameda salary)...this is seriously ridiculous.
(Does that include their retirement?)

We should be able to get these labor costs back under fifty percent and start giving our citizens back some Value for their tax dollar if we can get more creative and use all our sources. Maybe even adding some part time mixed with volunteering. If really the job of the city is to serve its citizen. I think we have it upside down now.

Keven, the site JOHN refers us to, simplyhired.com, is a little confusing for the uninitiated. Would you look at it and comment? For instance, it says the salary figures are a good $20,000 higher than the income figures John shows here. Is that because the benefit package isn't included in John's figure? Or perhaps salary includes out of Alameda jobs and median is just for in Alameda jobs? The household income figure is different, yet again. Does household include single parent and two parent households lumped together? Only Alameda jobs? The site also says there has been a 93% drop in available jobs, but doesn't give any background. Is that from last year to this or is that in the ten years since the previous census. I want to be sure I'm comparing apples with apples.

Thanks for your help.

The One I am refering to is individual income other is total Household. Where usually it takes two incomes.

Li

We have about 600 employees. Total employer contribution to Retirement fund 128,000.00 or about 213.00 per employee. They have been in business 90 + years. Total Retirement fund about 18,000,000. Or about 30,000 average per employee. Some employees have been there 40+ years. You need more info?

Health Benefits are partially paid by employer.

Family of 3 for Kaiser cost employee 1040.00 a month deducted from check.

Family of four 1410.00 deducted from check

We were in Bankruptcy in 1987 and had to make drastic changes to employee costs or close. City is just 25 years behind private industy.

"Save our schools! Save our schools!" Ok. Let's start with having one Police Captain earning 340K a year instead of two earning almost 700k. Ridiculous.

Looks like Russo's first job needs to be reducing public safety costs, $200-$300K salaries in a city of 72,000 and consuming 69% of the budget is unacceptable.

New city mgr salary has to be higher than the police chief's, according to the Council mtg on that topic. Not an obvious incentive to the City Mgr to bring the top salaries back to reality. Has the Council completed salary negotiations w/ Russo and formally announced that yet?

I am all for a volunteer fire dept. Or half volunteer. And just flat out reduce the police force by half. The half that sit in patrol cars passively waiting to snag a speeder going 30.

As others have said, I just can't afford to support you in the style to which you have become accustomed!

I feel for the citizens of Alameda. It appears your city is being run by a bunch of crooks. I hope it gets better and your children can get their sports programs back. Completely ridiculous.

I would like to add to your discussion and leave some other ideas to think about. And I will add that I am a paid firefighter for community in the east bay as a disclaimer. I am all for getting the most bang for your buck and I greatly appreciate all the work volunteers do each and every day for our country!
As for having a volunteer fire dept protect our community, it sounds great on paper. And while yes 71% of the country is volunteer I would challenge you to find a major urban area whick relies on volunteers. In a rural setting(which is where most volunteer depts are) it makes sense. But in a area like ours there are a couple factors to consider. Do most people who reside in Alameda work here in our community and will they be available to respond to emergency incidents in a timely fashion. I would imagine that most folks that are home during the day are retired or homemakers. If you don't like our current fire dept, that is fine. To say that Oakland comes over here when something major happens is a bit misleading at face value. Oakland does come over here to provide service while several Alameda units are commited to an incident to keep service for medical emergencies or incidents that occur and I know for a fact that Alameda Fire Medic units go over to Oakland with some regularity! And if you want to discount that we have paramedics on our rigs and offer a high level of emergency service in peoples homes during emergencies.

Joe
Thank you for your feed back ,
The main reason a very large and growing portion of Resident have no respect whatsoever for you , you got involved in dirty politic , running a campaign of hate , I DO SAY HATE .
most want the Ambulance private , their crew seat in the vehicle at all time , their response is faster the cost 1/3 of the AFD.
You have conducted yourselves in a manner totally contradictory to what you represent .
There is also a very gross misconception out there that your job is the most dangerous , actually prior to 9/11 a very different tragedy , firefighters did not even made the top 15 , roofers , lumberjack , traveling salesman or fisherman did , ever seen a City shut down and parade of roofer's truck going down main street , do they get 80% benefit , no when they retire with broken knees , skin cancer , they get social security, Firefighters are a service industry just like waitters they produce absolutely nothing , at $ 200 000 you can afford your own retirement
By the way before Chistmas there was a fire on a rental propert on Central , the Fire dept broke the windows cut the roof , to the tenant left were told to get air cleaner when the building was coated with smoke and suds
That is how remote you all are from reality. But you had time for the elections.claiming the City would not be safe under county ambulance , ever heard of cancer caused by smoke residue.
Oh but it was not one of your own therefore normal.

Joe
No one is questioning your qualifications , what we are questioning are ethics , AFD very low to none .
Salaries and pension
A soldier facing to defend the honor and safety of this Country is earn 6 times less than you do and with very limited retirement .....How many have died so far ?
Think about it next time you see an American flag .
as far as working 56 hours a week , then how is it possible that most of you have a full time second job .

The information on volunteer fire departments nationwide was very useful. Thanks.

Completely unofficially, I count 48 full-time fire fighters in Alameda paid avg $103,000 including OT.
And 21 fire captains @ avg. $127,000.
And 6 officers at avg. $156,000.
And 11 part-timers paid $11,000 each.

So, next question. How many fires did we have within Alameda in 2010? Or, what percentage of the fire department responses were for fires?

How sad. It seems our own local public officials are as guilty of gross negligence, abdication of responsibility, stupidity, and perhaps even corruption as so many of our national public officials have turned out to be. How can anyone in their right mind seriously justify the salaries and benefits of so many of these positions in a town the size of Alameda? Any presently sitting elected official who served previously and was silent and participated in approving this gross level of fiscal irresponsibility is not deserving or competent enough to hold public office.

Try and get a copy of the City Employees Total Compensation for the AUSD that gets 95% of the budget for Salarys Benefits and Pensions as they Pass Parcel Tax saying its for the the Kids as they get all the Money and the kids end up with a garden hose impersonating as a swimming pool and no heat in classroom.

Who are these undisclosed police that make $58000. in overtime on top of their $120,000. salary? Why not full disclosure.

Probably undercover and probably best we keep it that way. I want them safe . We are just looking at numbers anyway on how we can make this better City for all and get us out of the deep end fiscally.