Crime & Safety

Cuts To Pension Plans For Law Enforcement Under Consideration

The proposal calls for looking at ways to reduce the county's public safety pension obligations, which will contribute to retirement liabilities expected to exceed $300 million a year by 2020, according to recent analyses.

The retirement plan guaranteed to Riverside County sheriff's deputies will be under the microscope as the county conducts a study, authorized Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors, that will compare the plan to cheaper alternatives.

Law enforcement services for Lake Elsinore, Wildomar and surrounding unincorporated areas are contracted through the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

"We need to step up to the plate in Riverside County and form a second tier (pension system) that could save the county hundreds of millions of dollars,'' said Supervisor Jeff Stone, who introduced "Prudent Responsible Employee Pension Accountability Reform Enactment'' (PREPARE) to the board.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The proposal calls for looking at ways to reduce the county's public safety pension obligations, which will contribute to retirement liabilities expected to exceed $300 million a year by 2020, according to recent analyses.

Under PREPARE, the county would have the option of implementing a pension scheme that raises the retirement eligibility age of deputies from 50 to 55 and reduces the retirement compensation formula from 3 percent to 2 percent.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The county's current "3 percent at 50'' formula bases retirement allowances on 3 percent of the average of the three highest-paid years of an employee's career, multiplied by the number of years on the job. A deputy with 20 years service would be entitled to 60 percent of his active-duty income.

Any change to retirement benefits would only apply to new hires.

"I've always been a strong public safety proponent. But what we've done on the board is continue to kick the can down the road,'' Stone said. "We've got to make hard choices.''

He proposed making future deputies responsible for 100 percent of their employee retirement contributions. Under the county's current public safety pension plan, the county covers all employee contributions to the California Public Employees Retirement System. Stone said shifting the costs could save the county $13.5 million a year.

The supervisor said the Riverside Sheriffs' Association, which represents deputies, had not demonstrated a commitment to cost-savings compromises that other unions agreed to, including 10 percent pay and benefits cuts.

The last one expired in early January. RSA President Pat McNamara told City News Service earlier this month that negotiations were just beginning to touch on monetary adjustments.

McNamara said the RSA had made "good efforts to try to contribute to the economic recovery in the county'' over the last two years, offering up to $10 million in concessions, which weren't accepted by the board.

PREPARE proposes a salary freeze for all positions within the sheriff's department and recommends that voters approve any cost-of-living adjustments.   

Supervisor John Tavaglione disliked the idea of going to the voters with any of the proposals, noting that the public had already expressed its support for board actions in the last election, approving Measure M, which gives the board authority to make adjustments to public safety workers' benefits.

Supervisor John Benoit expressed concerns that studying alternatives to the public safety retirement plan might be viewed by the RSA as a breach of trust while negotiations with the county continue. But Human Resources Director Barbara Olivier said looking at alternatives and voting on them were separate issues.

The board approved moving forward with a study, which Stone asked to be completed in time to coincide with a comprehensive pension reform report covering all county employees that is due out March 15. --City News Service; Toni McAllister contributed to this report.


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