Rio Rancho officials, unions huddle on pay raise

RANCHO IS JUST ONE MONTH INTO IT S NEW– SLIMMED- DOWN BUDGET– BUT ALREADY EMPLOYEES HAVE A PROBLEM AMONG THIS YEAR S CUTS VACANT JOBS TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AND NO PAY RAISES FOR HUNDREDS OF UNION EMPLOYEES- INCLUDING POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS HOWEVER– NEGOTIATIONS ARE UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW THAT COULD CHANGE THAT KAYLA ANDERSON JOINS US LIVE FROM RIO RANCHO WITH OUR TOP STORY THE TWO UNIONS SAT DOWN FOR A NEW ROUND OF TALKS WITH THE CITY THIS MORNING THEY RE HOPING MONEY CAN SOMEHOW BE FOUND TO MAKE SURE THE CITY S FINEST GET THE RAISES THEY DESERVE THE CITY SAYS THERE IS NO MONEY AND THE CUT S THEY VE ALREADY MADE WERE NECESSARY TO PREVENT LAYOFFS A MONTH INTO RIO RANCHO S NEWER SMALLER BUDGET AND ONE BIG THING IS MISSING AN OLDER PROMISE FOR BIGGER PAYCHECKS FOR 550 CITY-UNION EMPLOYEES INCLUDING POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS BACK IN 2007 THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A CONTRACT TO GIVE THOSE UNION WORKERS A 4- PERCENT PAY INCREASE FAST FORWARD TWO YEARS AND THE CITY IS HAVING A ROCKY TIME AT FINDING THE MONEY TODAY UNION REPS ARE BACK IN THE BOARDROOM WITH A CITY NEGOTIATING TEAM THEY RE HOPING CITY LEADERS WILL LIVE UP TO THEIR END OF DEAL– OR AT LEAST HAMMER OUT A TIME FRAME ON WHEN THEY CAN EXPECT A BUMP IN PAY JUST TO MEET THE CITY S EXISTING PAYROLL AND AVOID LAYOFFS CITY LEADERS CUT THIS YEAR S BUDGET BY 2-MILLION DOLLARS 51 VACANT CITY JOBS WON T BE FILLED AND ALL OUT OF UNNECESSARY OUT OF STATE TRAVEL IS OUT OF THE QUESTION THERE S NO WORD YET IF THE UNION AND THE CITY REACHED AN AGREEMENT THIS MORNING THE CITY SAYS EVERY MONTH THEY LL REVISIT THE BUDGET AND FIGURE OUT WHEN THEY CAN DO THOSE RAISES REPORTING LIVE FROM RIO RANCHO KAYLA ANDERSON EYEWITNESS NEWS 4 MIDDAY