LOS ANGELES — Bankrupt San Bernardino, Calif. received no help from voters in efforts to change the way police and firefighters pay is determined.
Measure Q, designed to overturn a portion of the City Charter that requires that police and firefighter salaries be equivalent to that of 10 similarly-sized cities, failed in a 55.3% to 44.6% vote, according to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.
The charter has been criticized, because such cities as Irvine, an affluent Orange County city, have been included in the comparison.
"A resounding message was sent to the Mayor and Common Council last evening," said Steve Turner, president of the San Bernardino Police Officers Association in a statement. "The voters are tired of the constant attacks on public safety and the defeat of Measure Q clearly directs to all involved that it is time to move forward."
The city's tentative agreement with its police union in bankruptcy negotiations broke down and it hasn't reached an agreement with its firefighters.
Turner also interpreted the vote to mean that voters want city leaders to make public safety a top priority.
The police union "once again stands ready to work with the city in a collaborative fashion," Turner said.
