City Manager Sharon Addison says 60 firefighters is enough for the Watertown Fire Department to safely, efficiently and effectively get the job done.
She says last August, she, Fire Chief Dale Herman, and Deputy Chief Russell Randall all agreed that 60 firefighters was enough to run the department.
"They basically admitted that it could be done with 60," she said.
But both Herman and Randall say that's a misrepresentation and they don't recall that number being agreed to.
Right now the fire department has 64 firefighters, but 4 are on long-term leave, meaning they're at 60, which fire officials say is leading to mounting overtime costs.
"We are working at 60 right now and you can see where the overtime numbers are right now, they're through the roof," said fire union president Dan Daugherty.