Excerpts from the ChicagoSunTimes.com:
Chicago taxpayers are spending $5 million annually to provide a uniform allowance to firefighters that functions more like an automatic cash bonus, according to a recent audit by Inspector General Joe Ferguson. The allowance is not tied to any actual need or use, he found.
Four years ago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel attempted to cut several union benefits, including the clothing allowance, holiday pay, and premium pay for cross-trained firefighters and paramedics. However, he later backed off from those demands in a pre-election contract that gained support from the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, which had previously backed his opponent, Gery Chico.
The new five-year agreement includes an 11% pay raise over five years but removes free health care for retirees aged 55 to 65. Now, Inspector General Ferguson is investigating the uniform allowance as part of an audit focusing on the issuance, exchange, and repair of uniforms at the Chicago Fire Department’s Commissary — a store run by an outside contractor under a $11.7 million, five-year deal expiring in 2019.
The city provides free uniforms and replacements unless items are lost, stolen, damaged due to negligence, or affected by weight changes. The uniform allowance — $1,250 or $1,500 depending on assignment — is meant to cover maintenance and cleaning. But according to the audit, this amount is among the most generous in the country, with no clear link to actual usage.
Ferguson compared Chicago's practices to those in New York City, Philadelphia, Toronto, Dallas, San Diego, and Indianapolis. While Chicago issued fewer uniforms to new hires and spent less per employee than other cities, the generous annual allowance outweighed these savings. “This stipend more closely resembles an automatic cash bonus,†he wrote, calling for a reassessment in the context of upcoming labor negotiations.
The audit reviewed 58,257 transactions totaling $1.7 million and found that 99.9% were in line with policy. However, $535,757 in expenditures from 2012–2013 came from a grant not included in the original budget. The fire department said this was a historical practice it plans to change for greater transparency.
In response, Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago has implemented new rules, such as banning firefighters from buying uniforms for others and adjusting when trainees receive their gear to reduce waste. The commissary vendor now reviews past purchases to prevent excessive exchanges.
Earlier this year, Ferguson also recommended that the fire department save up to $1.2 million annually by replacing 34 administrative roles with civilian workers. One such position — the commissary liaison — is currently held by a captain, but could be filled by a non-firefighter instead.
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