HOUSTON – Nearly a day after Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced plans in an effort to solve the city’s pension problem, many still have questions.
Namely, the Houston Firefighters Association.
Alvin White, the President of the Houston Firefighters Association, said, "Overall thoughts, I think, his announcement may have been a little premature, since the firefighters pension board is not in complete agreement with this."
Still, the mayor says his plan is in the best interest of firefighters, police officers and municipal workers adding his plan would reduce billions in unfunded pension liabilities.
Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston Mayor, explained, "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."
The mayor says that while the governing bodies for police and municipal workers have consented to the plan, the firefighters' union isn't on board just yet.
A big sticking point is that they haven't signed off on a provision that would allow the city to renegotiate contributions, and employees’ benefits should costs go up in the future.
"I'm not forcing anything on any employee group. If firefighters don't want to join with police, don't want to join with municipal workers, and they want to deal directly with the Legislature, then I am fine with that. That is their choice," said Turner.
"I think after the first 24 hours, it's set that we know there is going to be reform. 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," said White.