Copyright Sutter County Taxpayers Associations 2011 © SCTA
Content of this site may not be used or reproduced without expressed written consent
Pension changes. . .
Previous contract and contract changes:
Sutter County employees in the safety units received pension credit of 3 percent of pay for every year served before turning 50, and employees
in the miscellaneous unit received credit of 2.7 percent of pay before turning 55. Safety unit employees get 2 percent pension credit for every
year served to 50, and miscellaneous unit employees receive the same credit for every year until 60.
Sutter County supervisors formally approved changes designed to save millions in pension costs in future years Tuesday night, while
also approving taking money out of their own pockets.
On a 5-0 vote, the board approved contract changes creating a two-tier system for new employees in both the miscellaneous and safety
bargaining units, effective for those hired after today.
Under the contract amendments approved Tuesday, safety unit employees would receive pensions of 2 percent of their pay for every year served
when they turned 50, and miscellaneous employees would receive 2 percent under the same formula when they turned 60.
Existing employees receive 3 percent at 50 for safety and 2.7 percent at 55 for miscellaneous unit employees.
Board Chairman James Gallagher said as a result, the county will save $5 million in the next three years on pensions, and $48 million in the next
20 years. Savings are higher over time, as new employees replace those hired under the previous provisions.
Included in the approved item was a first reading of a contract change specific to supervisors, stipulating they pay 6.6 percent of their salary for
Public Employees' Retirement System costs.
Because the portion relating to the supervisors wasn't an urgency item, it can't be formally adopted until the board's next meeting on Tuesday
evening, county Human Resources Director Karen Ropp told the board. However, supervisors previously voted for the change as part of budget
cuts in August 2010.
Supervisors did so then to set an example for other county departments.
The Sutter County Taxpayers Association has criticized the pension changes as not going far enough, pointing out the board adopted pension
benefits in 2004 the SCTA saw as too profligate at the time, and more so as the economy has sunk.
SCTA members also criticized the county for not formally adopting Tuesday's changes sooner, saying the county hired several employees in the
meantime who receive benefits under the old system. No SCTA members spoke at Tuesday's meeting.
Supervisor Larry Montna said he questioned another aspect of public employee pensions, noting Gov. Jerry Brown is seeking to restrict pensions
for state employees when they retire while Social Security, a federal program, doesn't kick in until people are several years older.
"There would be a hope that at some point, the state and federal systems would be synched up by the Legislature," Ropp told the board. "It
doesn't need to make sense."
Copyright Sutter County Taxpayers Associations 2011 © SCTA
Content of this site may not be used or reproduced without expressed written consent
Pension changes. . .
Previous contract and contract changes:
Sutter County employees in the safety units received pension credit of 3 percent of pay for every year served before turning 50, and employees
in the miscellaneous unit received credit of 2.7 percent of pay before turning 55. Safety unit employees get 2 percent pension credit for every
year served to 50, and miscellaneous unit employees receive the same credit for every year until 60.
Sutter County supervisors formally approved changes designed to save millions in pension costs in future years Tuesday night, while
also approving taking money out of their own pockets.
On a 5-0 vote, the board approved contract changes creating a two-tier system for new employees in both the miscellaneous and safety
bargaining units, effective for those hired after today.
Under the contract amendments approved Tuesday, safety unit employees would receive pensions of 2 percent of their pay for every year served
when they turned 50, and miscellaneous employees would receive 2 percent under the same formula when they turned 60.
Existing employees receive 3 percent at 50 for safety and 2.7 percent at 55 for miscellaneous unit employees.
Board Chairman James Gallagher said as a result, the county will save $5 million in the next three years on pensions, and $48 million in the next
20 years. Savings are higher over time, as new employees replace those hired under the previous provisions.
Included in the approved item was a first reading of a contract change specific to supervisors, stipulating they pay 6.6 percent of their salary for
Public Employees' Retirement System costs.
Because the portion relating to the supervisors wasn't an urgency item, it can't be formally adopted until the board's next meeting on Tuesday
evening, county Human Resources Director Karen Ropp told the board. However, supervisors previously voted for the change as part of budget
cuts in August 2010.
Supervisors did so then to set an example for other county departments.
The Sutter County Taxpayers Association has criticized the pension changes as not going far enough, pointing out the board adopted pension
benefits in 2004 the SCTA saw as too profligate at the time, and more so as the economy has sunk.
SCTA members also criticized the county for not formally adopting Tuesday's changes sooner, saying the county hired several employees in the
meantime who receive benefits under the old system. No SCTA members spoke at Tuesday's meeting.
Supervisor Larry Montna said he questioned another aspect of public employee pensions, noting Gov. Jerry Brown is seeking to restrict pensions
for state employees when they retire while Social Security, a federal program, doesn't kick in until people are several years older.
"There would be a hope that at some point, the state and federal systems would be synched up by the Legislature," Ropp told the board. "It
doesn't need to make sense."
