After over a year of negotiations, Orange County commissioners sided with the local firefighters union Tuesday on contract proposals that will deliver double-digit percentage raises for Orange County firefighters, bringing them closer to the salary levels of their peers in other local municipal fire departments.
The show of support from the seven-member board of county commissioners, which includes the mayor, came after hours of testimony during a marathon meeting from both county attorneys and union negotiators.
“I think we’re unified around the notion that we want our firefighters to be paid a competitive wage,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, who previously worked in public safety as a county sheriff. “We love our firefighters. We want them to be able to take care of their families.” At the same time, he acknowledged, “We don’t have unlimited money.”…