In the town of Troy-Who-Ville, where stories run deep,City Hall spun a tale they hoped neighbors would keep.So I wrote my own version, with rhyme, truth, and art,A 16-page adventure that comes straight from the…
Attention, citizens of Troy: The City relied on a very important IRS letter, one that apparently does not exist, to justify taking away firefighter pensions. So far, this elusive document has managed to avoid: 2…
Three years ago, almost to the day, I went on the radio for the first time in my life. I wasn’t a politician.I wasn’t media-trained.I wasn’t trying to score points. I was just a firefighter…
With STAR EMS beginning service in Troy, residents are being asked to trust a private company with one of the most critical public services there is: what happens when you call 911 and someone’s life…
The image you see here isn't meant to be cute. It isn't meant to be cruel. And it isn't meant to be taken literally. It's satire, because sometimes satire is the only way to cut…
The VFIP committee is often described as representative, but it operates nothing like a true negotiating body. It is a small, semi-self-selected group without department-wide buy-in, using a flawed survey and a single leading question…
This Was Never About Fixing the Incentive Plan. Let's stop pretending. The so-called "update" from the TFD "Incentive Committee" does not describe progress toward restoring what firefighters lost. It describes a process designed to avoid…
For more than two years, Troy officials have repeated the same story to residents, reporters, and firefighters. The IRS made us do it.The plan was illegal.There were no other options.Firefighters were made whole. Every part…
For years, Troy officials and messaging have leaned on a scary-sounding claim: Volunteer firefighters would have to pay taxes "now" on VFIP money they haven't even received yet. If that were true as a blanket…
🚨 Troy Fire Member Feedback: A Serious Red Flag 🚨 We recently surveyed our members about how likely they are to recommend joining Troy Fire. Keep in mind, this is a survey of the people…
In my previous article, I laid out why Troy City Council's repeated claim, that "the IRS made us" eliminate the Volunteer Firefighter Incentive Program, is not supported by the record. The IRS did not ban…
For over 85 years, Troy relied on volunteer firefighters to protect our families, our businesses, and our neighborhoods. Then City Hall took a sledgehammer to the very tool that kept the volunteer system alive, the…
In 2023, the City of Troy conducted a confidential staff survey with 385 responses and a ±3.0% margin of error. This wasn't a casual pulse check. It was a statistically meaningful snapshot of how employees…
In 2023, the City of Troy conducted a confidential staff survey with 385 responses and a ±3.0% margin of error. This wasn't a casual pulse check. It was a statistically meaningful snapshot of how employees…
For years, the City of Troy has justified eliminating the former firefighter incentive plan by pointing to an IRS determination letter that allegedly required the plan to go away. It's a powerful claim: Federal mandate.…
SPOILER ALERT As of 2021, Troy’s pension fund was approximately 56% funded, leaving the city with an estimated $11.6 million unfunded liability, a liability the city likely knew it could not fully fund under the…
After already losing a quarter of the department, the remaining firefighters were asked a simple question: “How likely are you to leave after your next payout?” The responses are worth careful attention. The answers paint…
Troy Firefighters Are Speaking, and the City Is Choosing Not to Listen Recently, 100 Troy firefighters took the time to fill out a survey about the current incentive plan and the state of the department.…
During World War II, Allied bombers returned from missions riddled with bullet holes. Engineers rushed to reinforce those areas, until statistician Abraham Wald said something that everyone else missed: You're only studying the planes that…
When the city removed the firefighter pension incentive, 34 firefighters left the department and only 100 of them remained to protect our 87,000 residents. In any other American city this size, losing 25% of a…