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By Joanne Huist Smith, Staff Writer Updated 10:47 AM Friday, October 30, 2009

DAYTON — A city official says a miscommunication led to an incorrect report that all management-level employees received a 1.19 percent step equivalent raise.

Tom Biedenharn, the city’s director of public affairs, said there are 416 managers in the organization of 2,097 full-time employees. Of those, 381 are eligible to receive the “step equivalent” raise. The raises will not exceed a total of $292,350, Biedenharn said.

Managers include executives, supervisors and professional staff such as lawyers, budget analysts, graphic artists and engineers.

Managers not eligible for the raise include 35 who are new hires or who received a promotion in 2009. Those employees are on probation for six months and not eligible for the raise, Biedenharn said. About seven employees under performance discipline also will not get the increase.

Mike Fasnacht, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 136, called the misinformation a reflection of how the city is managed.

“Whatever the numbers end up to be, the city is using step raises given to union members starting out as our new employees to give raises to people who have been on the job for 20 to 25 years. Those are not step increases,” Fasnacht said. “I’m sure every one of the people who received a raise deserved it. So do all the other employees of the city of Dayton.”

Fasnacht said the raises are a “detriment to keeping apparatus in service.”

Fasnacht said he learned this month two fire apparatus could be taken out of service in 2010 to save money. Vehicles threatened are at fire companies located near a community in which Dayton has a mutual aid agreement.

Four options were presented: Engine 16 near Kings Highway, where the city receives assistance from Harrison Twp. and Trotwood; Engine 10 in the Westwood neighborhood, close to Moraine; Engine 12 on Brandt Pike, near Huber Heights or one vehicle from Company 14 at Main Street and Fairview Avenue.

Deputy City Manager Stanely Earley said he has not seen a recommendation to take two vehicles out of service, but everything is on the table. It costs approximately $1.6 million annually to operate one piece of fire equipment, he said.

“There will be reductions,” Earley said.

Contact this reporter at  (937) 225-2362 or josmith @DaytonDailyNews.com.