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Lastly, the County cannot afford Local 2201's proposal. In this regard, Local 2201's proposal carries a —$200,000 per year price tag. This cost will increase over time as all new hires are required to be protocolled paramedics. The Emergency Services Fund's budget cannot absorb this additional recurring expense. This is especially true where, as here, the County has significant expenditures that need to be made for fire -rescue vehicle purchases and capital improvements. To the extent that Local 2201 contends that the County could pay for the increase by increasing taxes, the millage rate for the current fiscal year has already been set; even if the County were inclined to increase taxes again, it could not do so until Fiscal Year 2015-16. And, to the extent that Local 2201 contends that the County could pay for the increase out of reserves, doing so would reduce the reserves below what the County has determined to be safe levels. Moreover, reserves are not self -generating; therefore it is not normally appropriate to pay annually recurring expenses out of reserve funds. Accordingly, I recommend that the BCC adopt the County's proposal, attached hereto as Exhibit 0, to keep ¶33.10 status quo. 10. ARTICLE 34 — SALARIES Issue: The only paragraph of this Article that remains in dispute is ¶34.02. More specifically, the only issue is the amount of the wage increases for each of the fiscal years of the CBA. The County proposed at the Special Magistrate hearing the following for a 3 -year CBA: (a) FY 2013-14: a 3% COLA increase effective on ratification of the CBA, no step increase; (b) FY 2014-15: a 2.5% COLA and a 2.5% step increase using the County's proposed new step plan effective on ratification of the CBA; and (c) FY 2015-16: the same cost -of -living increases, if any, provided to general non - bargaining unit employees under the County Administrator's purview, and a 2.5% step increase under the County's proposed new step plan. Local 2201 proposed at the Special Magistrate hearing the following for a 2 -year CBA: (a) FY 2013-14: a 3% COLA increase and a 5% step increase under the existing step plan retroactive to April 1, 2014; and (b) FY 2014-15: a 3% COLA increase and a 5% step increase under the existing step plan retroactive to October 1, 2014. The County rejected Local 2201's proposal as it would permanently add $520,000 to the Division's budget over and above the County's proposal. Special Magistrate's Recommendation: (A) Effective upon ratification thru September 30, 2015, a 3% COLA increase, a 5% step increase under the existing step plan, and a $1500 lump sum payment for 21 21