Reporters Notebook

Rutherford Questions Peyton's Pension Plan

@ June 29, 2009 10:14 AM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

On a special edition of Jacksonville's Morning News, Sheriff John Rutherford took issue with Mayor John Peyton's plan to reform the city's balooning Police and Fire Pension fund. The highlights (from my perspective) included Sheriff Rutherford saying the current pension benefits are far from lavish and better described as "middle of the road" compared with other law enforcement benefits around the state and country.

Beyond that, the Sheriff questioned how much money would actually be saved under the Mayor's proposal.

Peyton wants to decrease the guaranteed rate of return for retired police and firefighters. He also is proposing officers and firefighters work 25 years instead of the current 20 to be eligible for full retirement benefits.

"This really is a young man's game," Rutherford said about the five additional years of service asked of Sheriff's officers and firefighters. "Those higher-salaried years are when you want them to leave. That way you can hire and keep on guys at the entry level which is much cheaper."

Expect the Sheriff to join the lobbying effort opposed to drastic pension reform. Already the Fraternal Order of Police and Jacksonville Association of Firefighters are skeptical and gearing up for a legislative slug fest.

"Our pension contribution for employees went up," the Sheriff said. "It went up to pay for a 20 year retirement plan."

The Sheriff blames mismanagement and inflated numbers for the current pension shortfalls and says the city's pension woes are no worse than most pension plans as a result Wall Street losses.