Mayor James: 'I'm 100 percent behind pension reform'
Yael T. AbouhalkahOn Friday, the day after his budget message, Mayor Sly James chatted with me about several points.
One that KC taxpayers should be especially glad to hear: “I’m 100 percent behind pension reform.”
That’s good to hear, because there’s all kinds of pressure - especially from the state-run Police Department and the firefighters - to ease back on reform. That would be the wrong move to make, given the $50-plus million cost of the pensions, a cost that has gone up by tens of millions of dollars in recent weeks.
The Pension Task Force late in 2011 prepared a report to the City Council, calling for slightly changed benefits and higher contributions from employees.
But the real work is being done now, behind the scenes, by a group that City Manager Troy Schulte put together. It’s supposed to report back to him soon, so he can get his recommendations to the City Council by March 15.
That working group, it should be emphasized, is not charged with undermining the work of the pension task force, but of trying to see how many of its proposals can be adopted.
Overall: Glad to hear the mayor is fully behind a good plan to overhaul city pensions.
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Casey Eastman
3 months agoMr. Abouhalkah
As an Editorial Staff Member of the Red Star, are you covered by the McClatchy Pension Plan which is funded entirely company contributions? The members of the KCPD partially fund Their pension plan. I consider your critical attacks against our public servants very hypocritical.
http://media.mcclatchy.com/static/pdfs/pension/81110PensionSPD.pdf
“Currently, the Plan is funded entirely with contributions from the Company. The Company contributions are determined by an actuary based on specific legal parameters. The contributions are held in trust and invested by the Retirement Committee. Retirement benefit payments are made from the trust by the trustee as they become due.”