Highwood may supplement manning with contract personnel (more)

Here's an excerpt from an editorial on chicagotribune.com:

The city of Highwood, Illinois is exploring a new approach to bolster its fire department by partnering with a private firefighting company. While the idea may raise concerns, city officials are emphasizing that public safety will remain their top priority throughout the process.

City Manager Scott Coren explained that financial constraints and a limited tax base—covering less than one square mile—are key reasons behind this move. He stated, “Highwood needs to keep our current service costs low in order to invest in much-needed infrastructure improvements, like repairing streets and sidewalks.” Mayor Charles Pecaro echoed these sentiments, noting, “With the uncertain economic climate in Illinois, we need to run a sustainable city, especially considering the high costs of pensions and workers’ compensation.”

This isn’t the first time Highwood has turned to outside contractors. Services such as snow removal, grass maintenance, building inspections, payroll, fueling, and police dispatching have all been managed by third-party providers for some time now.

“Outsourcing has worked well for us in the past,” said Coren. “We believe we can deliver safe and efficient fire services through qualified contractors. We’ll maintain strict hiring standards and ensure all employees meet the necessary certifications.”

By reducing operational costs, the city hopes to redirect funds toward critical infrastructure projects. “We’ve had to raise taxes before to fix roads and sidewalks,” Coren noted. “If we don’t make smart decisions like this one, we’ll be forced to increase taxes again. We need to use every dollar wisely.”

Thanks, Chris

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