The Pension Dilemma

Jacksonville’s pension obligation is costing hundreds of millions of dollars a year, and if nothing is done to change the terms of benefits, that mandate is only going to go up each year until it will consume such a large part of the municipal budget that it will force massive tax hikes and/or drastic cuts in government spending. In other words, get used to those potholes and good luck trying to use the library when it’s only open one day a week. The city is attempting to broach police pension reform in collective bargaining talks, but there’s no agreement on what entity is legally authorized to negotiate with it – the police union or Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund. The city has declared an impasse in those talks, and a mediator will be called in to make a non-binding recommendation.

Originally aired January 24, 2013.