LAKEPORT — Lakeport City Council members voted 3-2 to adopt a resolution in a step toward increasing police officer retirement benefits.
The retirement plan would give police officers retiring at the age of 50 with 30 years of experience 90 percent of their salary in final compensation.
Mayor James Irwin said he felt like his hands were tied to adopt the resolution because the council passed a decision in 2006 agreeing to increase the benefits. The ordinance will come before the council Aug. 17 for a public hearing. Councilmen Roy Parmentier and Bob Rumfelt also voted for the resolution.
Parmentier said though he hates to support city funding at such a high percent, “We promised this to employees, we need to give it to them.”
“Now, first of the year, there are going to be changes,” Parmentier said. “We cannot afford to keep putting money out there when it”s not coming in.”
In the old plan, police officers could retire at 50 and begin receiving 2 percent of their salaries for each year they worked. The new plan offers 3 percent of their salary at age 50.
Irwin said though the contract expires at the end of the calendar year, he thinks it would almost be impossible to change the contract back to 2 percent at 50.
“It was approved without knowing the cost,” Irwin said. “It ties the hands of future councils as it tied ours. It”s a benefit that the city really can”t afford in the long-term.”
Officer Norm Taylor, president of the Police Officer”s Association, said officers made significant concessions during contract negotiations in 2006 to receive better retirement benefits.
“We felt all along we were in contract and the city is responsible to increase retirement as agreed upon,” Taylor said. “We”re glad to see the vote turned out this way.”
Taylor said the change would bring Lakeport police up to standard benefits.
“In the state of California, more than 80 percent of police departments and sheriff departments have the 3 at 50 formula for retirement,” Taylor said. “It”s basically industry standard.”
Police officers have better retirement benefits than many because they tend to have a higher rate of work-related injuries, Taylor said.
It would likely be October before the new retirement benefits would take effect, he said.
With the 2 percent at 50 benefits, the city pays 28 percent but the proposed changes would increase the city”s rate by 10 percentage points. Adoption of the ordinance would cause a fiscal impact of $73,158.
Councilman Ron Bertsch said the council agreed to increase benefits before he was elected into office. He said the benefits would continue for years though the contract expires this year.
“The reason I voted against the resolution was because I felt it was unfair to the taxpayers of the City of Lakeport,” Bertsch said.
“I understand the POA has a contract with the city that expires in six months, but I was hoping to work with the city manager and the city attorney to come to some understanding on how we could pay for this benefit prior to approving it since the city already overspends more than it takes in,” Bertsch said.
City attorney Steven Brookes said there might be two officers who retire between now and December, one more likely than another.
Rumfelt said he voted for the resolution because the council said in 2006 it would increase benefits by this year.
“It came time to follow through with what we promised,” Rumfelt said. “For me it”s about keeping your word.”
Irwin said he doesn”t care about other departments” benefits, he wants an affordable, sustainable police department. He said the 2006 decision was poor planning by the prior council and now the city has to cut elsewhere to fund police.
“What matters to me is our budget, our revenue and our expenses,” Irwin said.
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
