The legislature asked for approval of the roughly $800,000 contract. They hammered out the deal earlier this year that would have given every current AFSME Local 1095 employee $600 dollars to settle the three-year old impasse.

It was seen as a good-faith measure to move new contract talks forward. All county union contracts have long expired. County Executive Chris Collins said the settlement is indefensible.

He said by rejecting the settlement, the impasse is over.

The control board agreed it would have set a bad precedent. Vice Chairman Robert Glaser called it a gesture the county, with its depleted fund balance could ill afford.

But union president John Orlando disagrees. He said the settlement would have shown good faith and appreciation for concessions made during the 2004-2005 budget crisis, even while the impasse continued.

But Orlando said he's done cooperating. He said he would consult with their legal counsel to decide their next step.

Collins said he will not back down. He said the county can not give away anything until there are concessions from all the unions on costly benefits and retirement packages.

The control board also signaled provisional support for some of Collins' other plans for fiscal control. It approved funding for Six Sigma training and the director's salary through next year.

The board also agreed to short-term borrowing for capital and cash flow needs.

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