HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-11-32RESOLUTION NO. R -11 -32
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN SUPPORTING POLICE
OFFICER (AND FIREFIGHTER) PENSION PLAN REFORMS CREATING
PLAN SUSTAINABILITY FOR TAX PAYERS AND FINANCIAL
SECURITY FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE POLICE OFFICERS (AND
FIREFIGHTERS); PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, to honor their service now and in years to come, current and future police
officers in the City of Sebastian deserve pension plans that are sound, secure and sustainable; and
WHEREAS, the City of Sebastian opposes unfunded mandates from the Florida Legislature
that have created a pension plan system for local police officers that is unstable, unsustainable and
unreliable for current and future police officers; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature has imposed significant unfunded mandates onto the
City of Sebastian, and other local governments, relative to the operation of police officer defined
benefit pension plans by mandating minimum pension benefit levels and restricting the use of
insurance premium tax revenues to fund local pension plan costs; and
WHEREAS, the City of Sebastian encourages the Florida legislature to create new laws that
would allow more flexible use of insurance premium tax revenues helping supplement the current
cost, or deceased costs, of police pension benefits; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature has written and the courts have interpreted that certain
health conditions, such as heart disease, hypertension or tuberculosis are presumed to be job
related; thereby, creating a situation that overly favors disability claims placing an unreasonable
financial strain on pension funds; and
WHEREAS, the City of Sebastian is seeking immediate mandate relief from the Florida
Legislature and requests the Legislature untie so that local governments can responsibly address
pension and other personnel issues in a manner that best serves its taxpayers, stops potential
pension abuse and protects pensions for current and future generations of police and firefighters.
NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Sebastian, Indian
River County, as follows:
SECTION 1. SUPPORT REASONABLE PENSION REFORM. That the City of Sebastian
hereby supports responsible police and firefighter defined benefit pension and disability
presumption reforms to ensure sound, secure and stable pensions will be there for current and
future police and firefighters.
SECTION 2. SUPPORT THE LOCAL COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS. That the
City of Sebastian believes local issues should be addressed locally and hereby requests the Florida
Legislature to remove itself from the local collective bargaining process between the local
governments and its police (and firefighters).
SECTION 3. FLEXIBILITY OF INSURANCE PREMIUM TAX REVENUE. That the City of
Sebastian hereby requests the Florida Legislature to remove mandates establishing minimum
pension benefit standards for police pensions; thereby, removing the requirement to provide new
and extra pension benefits to qualify for its proportional share of insurance premium tax revenues
which fund pension plans.
SECTION 4. CHANGE DISABILITY PRESUMPTION STANDARDS. That the City of
Sebastian hereby requests the Florida Legislature to enact responsible reforms to bring balance to
the application of disability presumption laws relating to certain health conditions suffered by
firefighters and police officers by requiring a police officer or firefighter to meet age and employment
standards, allowing a disability presumption to be overcome by a preponderance of the evidence,
and allowing certain individual risk factors such as tobacco use, weight and diet, genetics and
lifestyle choices to be considered when applying a disability presumption.
SECTION 5. FISCAL TRANSPARENCY. That the City of Sebastian hereby requests the
Florida Legislature to impose reasonable fiscal transparency and accountability standards on
legislatively created police and firefighter pension boards of trustees.
SECTION 6. PASS NEW LEGISLATION AND TRANSMIT TO STATE OFFICIALS. That
the City of Sebastian urges the Florida Legislature to pass and the Governor to approve the above
responsible pension reform recommendations relating to police and firefighter pension plans and
disability presumptions in the 2012 legislative session and the Sebastian City Clerk is directed to
transmit a copy of this resolution to Governor Rick Scott, the Florida Legislature, and the Florida
League of Cities, Inc.
SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its
adoption.
The foregoing Resolution was moved for adoption by Council Member Gillmor . The
motion was seconded by Council Member Wright and, upon being put to a vote, the vote
was as follows:
Mayor Jim Hill aye
Vice Mayor Don Wright aye
Council Member Andrea B. Coy nay
Council Member Richard H. Gillmor aye
Council Member Bob McPartlan aye
The Mayor thereupon declared this Resolution duly passed and adopted this 14thday of
December 2011.
ATT
Sally A. Ma'•, MMC
City Cler
CITY OF S ASTI ' . FLORIDA
By:
Ji Hill, Mayor
Approved as to form and legality for
relianp by, the City of Sebastian only:
Robert A. Ginsburg, City Attey