Houston Firefighters Association not all in just yet with Mayor’s Pension Reform Plan

HOUSTON, TX -- The day after Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announce a major reform plan
for city employees, at least one organization may not be completely on board with the plan.

Alvin White, the President of the Houston Firefighters Association told KPRC that, "Overall thoughts, I think, his announcement may have been a little premature, since the firefighters pension board is not in complete agreement with this."

Turner followed through with his pledge to reform pension under-funding for city employees, with the roll-out of his proposed $7.7 billion pension reform plan on Wednesday.

The plan, which is designed to eliminate $5.6 billion in unfunded pension liability within 30 years, would also reduce benefits avoiding more than $2.5 billion in future costs, and include the issuance of at least $1 billion in bonds.

"We are closing the amortization, having a 30 year ammituization, reducing the rate of return expected rate of return down to seven percent, reducing the unfunded liability by one-third, and it's not increasing your taxes."

Turner said that while the governing bodies for police and municipal workers have consented to the plan, the firefighters' union isn't on board just yet, and the barrier to that for some city employees is the provision in the plan that would allow the city to renegotiate contributions, and employees’ benefits should costs go up in the future.

"I think after the first 24 hours, it's set that we know there is going to be reform,” White said. “Let's just slow down a little bit and make sure we get it right. And if this quarter is the way to go, let's explain it so that we all understand it.”

Once a deal is reached, Turner will make his proposal to the state legislature which convenes in January.

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