Will unions follow city's strong lead?

The Ocean City Council, urged on by City Manager Dennis Dare, took a difficult step in the right direction this week by freezing the salaries and cost-of-living increases for many of the city employees.

It appears that city officials have heard the dirge that has been playing here and everywhere across the country, as the economy takes one major hit after another.

Aside from saving a considerable amount of money, this decision is a solid public relations move that tells struggling business owners, workers and retirees, whose own incomes might not be as fixed as they once were, that City Hall isn't insulated from their problems.

Still, city government has to do more to rein in spending in order to bring the tax rate in below the constant yield rate scheduled to be released later this month. Dare is obviously aware of that, as is illustrated by his suggestions concerning other personnel costs that could be cut.

Beyond that, he acknowledged that city officials also have contemplated asking union workers, the police and firefighters, to take a pass on the pay increases guaranteed in their contracts. While he would not say whether the council will formally make that request, it remains that the unions would also benefit greatly in the public relations sense were they to do so voluntarily.

This is not about restructuring pay scales or inviting confrontation, but a matter of doing the right thing for a community caught up in a huge economic mess. Like it or not, the resort's problems are everyone's problem and everyone should do what they can to help.