Police pensions safe for now

The Sarasota City commissioners agreed to allow both existing and future police officers to keep their pension plans after more than 100 officers and their families packed City Hall to warn them that eliminating their pensions in favor of 401(k) plans would be devastating to them and the department.

Vice Mayor Terry Turner instead made a motion that passed unanimously, which agreed with a special magistrate’s recommendations and reduced a cost of living allowance pension modification from 2% to 1%. The move, Finance Director Chris Lyons said, would reduce pensions costs considerably over time.

In the meantime, the commission also approved a motion by Commissioner Willie Shaw for city staff to look into restoring Social Security benefits for officers, which could act as a replacement for pension plans in the future for new officers.

The decisions the commission made, however, were for a contract that ended Sept. 30. The decisions made become the basis for a new contract that both sides must discuss at the bargaining table once again this fall, in the hopes of reaching a long-term contract.

For more information on the commission’s decision, pick up a copy of the Thursday, Oct. 20 Sarasota Observer.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].