Politics & Government
City Of St. Louis Comptroller Criticizes Board Bill 221
Darlene Green says the bill would undo hard-earned gains from the Firefighters Retirement Plan amid an economy weakened by the pandemic.
January 21, 2021
Today, City of St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green issued the following statement regarding Board Bill 221:
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The Firefighter’s Retirement Plan (FRP) came about as part of an effort to address the rising cost of city pension contributions. It was the result of years of work by multiple offices and elected officials to gain control from the state over pension plans, reduce administrative costs and introduce good governance.
Board Bill 221 would undo many of these hard-earned gains amid an economy weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Its passage would negatively affect the city's already stressed operating budget and ability to provide services.
The most fiscally responsible action would be to consider any new reforms once the economy is rebuilding and the city is seeing healthier revenues.
Comptroller Darlene Green is the chief fiscal officer of the City of St. Louis and is charged with safeguarding the city’s credit rating and with protecting taxpayer dollars. She is the recipient of the 2019 Women in Public Finance Lifetime Achievement award. Visit www.stlouis-mo.gov/comptroller to learn more about the Office of the Comptroller.
This press release was produced by the City of St. Louis. The views expressed here are the author’s own.