After going more than a month without pay, Coventry Fire District firefighters may soon receive paychecks after a deal was made between the district’s board, the firefighters union and Coventry Credit Union.
The fire district has been in financial despair for months, and it came to a head last week when the credit union cleared out the fire district’s accounts, saying the district was $456,000 in debt to the bank. The move prompted three of the district’s 14 firefighters to retire or resign.
A court-ordered meeting was held Monday before Superior Court Judge Brian Stern to sort out some of the district’s problems. Since the district couldn’t afford police detail, the board had been reluctant to schedule a meeting without an officer present. The Kent County Courthouse’s police detail was there to ensure good behavior.
Judge Stern blamed many of the district’s issues on the board’s lack of actions.
“In this case, not making a decision has had major consequences,” he said.
A public meeting turned private when the board voted to move it to executive session.
After meeting for more than two hours behind closed doors, both sides emerged with a deal. The credit union agreed to release the district’s funds as long as the district makes interest-only payments on their loan.
It was decided that the firefighters union will control 70 percent of the money for members’ salaries and benefits, while the remaining 30 percent will be used by the board to pay for operations and bills. The split in funding will be in effect until Nov. 15, meaning both sides will need to come up with a permanent solution before then.