Kathy Till
The Orlando Sentinel
April 9, 2013
Florida’s legislators are focused on sweeping pension reform for state employees and have been slowly moving bills in the House and Senate that make incremental changes to police and firefighter municipal pensions.
Cities in Florida are asking the Legislature to think big and support more comprehensive pension reforms that will make municipal police and firefighter pensions sustainable, secure and sound well into the future.
Without comprehensive reform in how municipal police officer and firefighter pensions are funded and governed, some Florida municipalities are headed for their own version of a fiscal cliff — and will be unable to meet current and future obligations to their retirees.
Unless and until the Florida Legislature repeals a union-backed state law that requires cities to continue to provide “extra benefits” to police and firefighters, cities will continue to have problems adequately funding their police and fire pension plans.