From State Rep. Andres Ayala:
BRIDGEPORT WINS UNDER IMPORTANT IMPLEMENTER BILL
Pension plan, Ralphola Community Center and Manufacturing Grants included in implementer.
Chairman of Bridgeport’s Legislative Delegation State Representative Andres Ayala (D-Bridgeport) is pleased to announce the implementer bill passed by the House of Representatives includes several key provisions that benefit Bridgeport.
Some of the benefits include a solution to the pension plan, funds for the Ralphola Community Center and manufacturing grants.
“Bridgeport would be faced with pension obligation payments that could exceed $20 million without this legislation,” Rep. Ayala said. “That translates into cuts to municipal services as well as possible increases in local taxes.”
The proposed legislation provides a different framework within which the City must fund the pension plan so the pension plan can continue to pay the retirement benefits. The pension plan currently covers 866 retirees and 33 remaining active employees.
The legislation changes the funding ratio requirements under existing law and instead institutes an actuarially accepted methodology for payments into the pension plan. The city will be required to contribute a minimum of $7 million to the plan for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012 and to make future contributions at actuarially required levels under actuarially accepted methodology for subsequent fiscal years.
The current administration has made significant contributions over the last few years–$6.2 million in 2009, $4.7 million in 2010 and $7 million in 2011. However, a weak economy over the past 10 years has negatively affected the pension fund and the city’s revenues have substantially declined.
The Ralphola Taylor Community Center YMCA has received a $300,000 state grant. The Community Center YMCA serves the entire community with educational and recreation programs for youth and adults, including computer classes high school equivalency classes (GED) and a violence prevention program. It is a family resource center with a full service medical facility in conjunction with the Bridgeport Community Health Center.
“I am very happy that I was able to work with the House leadership to receive this funding,” Rep. Clemons said. “This will go a long way in providing much needed services in the district.”
In addition, Bridgeport will receive $839,881 dollars that would have been lost due to changes in the Manufacturing Machinery & Equipment reimbursement to municipalities (MME) in the governor’s budget. Bridgeport and other cities with heavy industry and large manufacturing bases would have been disproportionately affected. A fund was created that combines retail sales, hotel stays, home sales, cabaret and car rental taxes.
“Changes to the MME reimbursement would have had the potential to greatly affect Bridgeport and other cities whose budgets rely on these state funds. Our municipal budget might have been affected by upwards of $800,000 in lost revenue,” Rep. Santiago said. “I am pleased my colleagues were able to unite against this proposed change to come up with alternate options.”
Guess the City got its money’s worth from Bill Beccaro. The man who is on the State and City payroll.
If you generate greater dividends than your salary you have my total support & admiration. CT needs a lot more people with this devotion.
Dear OIB,
Actually I cannot wait to see the “actuarially required levels under actuarially accepted methodology for subsequent fiscal years” as reported above. I wonder how many iterations Thomas Davidowicz of Segal & Company had to perform to get what the politicians wanted? Does he realize the budget cut actuarial professional fees in half this year?
By the way, illustrations do not fund pensions. Taxes, investment returns and employee contributions do. Paper illustrations merely cover the butt of “know nothing” politicians who will have someone else to blame when the train wreck occurs. Notice Ayala and others who will have voted for this, I assume, have said nothing about the future difficulty of paying.
Governor Malloy, it was your opportunity to provide a lesson to cowardly City administrators about telling the truth, not half-truths or outright lies.
Well Bill, one round to you. Let’s see what happens as we merrily roll along. Let’s see what happens when you have to face a “Wiener moment” down the tracks when the crash occurs. How many fans will be at your side protecting your buns?
Here’s what most voters are concerned about, jobs and taxes.
If Bill Finch kicks Pension plan A down the road, who cares!
Most of these pension plans from the past should be renegotiated anyway.
Let’s face it, we cannot afford 30 million dollars each year to fund a luxury like Pension plan A, and if MJF or anyone else running for Mayor tells you she will fund Pension plan A next year, she will raise my taxes.
How many people/voters in Bridgeport live on a Pension Plan like this one? Very Few!
Lower my taxes, start by revaluating my property, cut costs everywhere.
And renegotiate all contracts and Pension Plans now. That’s what the people of Bridgeport want and need.
That’s who I’ll vote for!
No New Taxes Thank you Mayor Finch.
Here’s what most voters are concern about, Jobs and Taxes.
If Bill Finch kicks Pension plan A down the road, who cares!
Most of these pension plans from the past should be renegotiated anyway.
Let’s face it, we can not afford 30 million dollars each year to fund a luxury like Pension plan A, and if MJF or anyone else running for Mayor tells you she will fund Pension plan A next year, she will raise my taxes.
How many people/voters in Bridgeport live on a Pension Plan like this one? Very Few!
Lower my Taxes, start by revaluating my property, cut costs everywhere.
And renegotiate all contracts and Pension Plans now. That’s what the people of Bridgeport want and need.
That’s who I’ll vote for!
Good Morning Bridgeport fans … forget “wiener gate” … it’s over, past, histooory!!! … News hot off the wire … OIB acts as “social networking” site … two posters are in complete agreement … WOW … RONIN posted and CCH69 parroted the exact same words … meaning … they are going steady? … they are one in the same? … or just maybe … they enjoy lame financial stories from the Finch administration that keeps wasting tax money currently instead of true belt tightening and paying obligations. Maybe they will let us know soon just which of their ‘comments’ first attracted the mutual attraction?
Finch, Cuppy, Ronin=1
B2=0
Flyon wall=0
tc=0
Anti=0
I like scoreboards, Cuppy! Bet you haven’t read several of my posts on OIB celebrating the open, accountable and transparency they provide for the public. By the way, did you invite Finch and Ronin to your team, or did they recruit you? Were you ever a player or just a scoreboard athlete?
Guess you consider this a short-term game that is now over? How did you manage to score your one run when you don’t know the financial score? ‘Cause you can’t learn the rule book? Don’t like training camp? And just want to run around the field with Bill?
We’re in the early innings of this struggle for sure and we could use a Jasper McLevy type as umpire behind the plate. And some experienced financial players calling it as they see it on the base paths (with a finance board as well as the best and brightest from City Council on their B & A group). Let’s make it a real game, with two teams, huh?
When things get tighter in later innings, and they will, the crowd is going to get so wild at Bill Finch stacking $61 Million of increased deficits in the past three years for OPEB liability. That is three years of errors which remove him from Gold Glove contention. (Finch’s poor field performance will tower over his fibbing to the State about “how bad things are in Bridgeport” when he could have made the original actuarial funding level called for in each of the years without stealing any bases.) That big game (retiree healthcare) is still running this year and Bill, Andy, Wood, Sherwood and Norton are still “anticipating eliminating” liabilities “through receiving grants and revenues.” Coach Beacon to scoreboard: that anticipation is going to die on base. It is not coming home to score. When it comes down it will look like a triple play. That quintet will be caught naked on the base path not knowing what base to run to. I wonder which one will push the others into the photo op limelight?
Cuppy and Ronin, make sure you volunteer to be there for the picture. It sure will be a good one to pass to children and grandchildren as your happy legacy to future generations.
Thank you for declaring who you are by what you do not know, will not learn, and who your friends are! I would think after Finch hit his own budget to the Council with no opposition; had it accepted by them with no real contest, questions or change; saw community response as a yawner at the one and only public hearing; finally to have it passed in spite of wise strategic questions from Baker and Walsh (but two outs don’t get us through an inning); onto the Governor, State Treasurer, OMB Director and State legislators who must have forgotten their sunglasses so dazzled were they by the Mayor’s storytelling talent; and finally the CT Post did a seventh-inning stretch where they read as much of this year’s budget and audit as did the majority of the budget voting Council in their editorials applauding the Pension A waiver from the State. I understand your desire to celebrate, but …
It’s only a big first inning. Lots of runs on the board, true, more than you are showing. I’d grant you at least six for the visiting team. But our hitting is really better than our pitching this early in the season, because the home team, the taxpayer team has the big bucks that make it a game at all. Casey will get more at bats, because Casey is a tough taxpayer. And the game is a long one. The tournament is coming up in September and the World Series is in November. And you know what … if financial truth strikes out in Mudville this year … remember we’ve been there before … wait until next year. Truth has a way of getting fully reported, especially when narcissism and ignorance are twittered together.” Wiener and bun, anyone? Pass the mustard, please.
Hey Ronin, Stratford’s in the same boat.
www .ctpost.com/local/article/Crushed-by-town-pensions-1413396.php
I have one question. Where is the State going to get the funds if the Unions do not agree to the cuts?
So many fools, so little time. Shame on anyone who allows that liberal rag of our so-called newspaper to sway their thinking. This country’s economy was sunk by the liberals who thought it was okay to give mortgages to people who could not afford them. The media is now telling us it’s the municipal employee sinking the economy and not the corrupt policies of our elected officials. All they have done is work hard under the agreements in place when hired. Imagine that! Some here are jealous for all the wrong reasons. Finch has been allowed to manipulate most unions into concessions then hiring his cronies during a freeze with money saved after layoffs and give-backs. Shame on you media zombies who can’t think for yourselves. Finch is merely jumping on the pension bandwagon. Sadly Bridgeporters will vote to keep him in place in a few months because that is what we do. Time for final jeopardy … the answer “what is the definition of insanity?”
The definition of insanity, Alex, is to watch the politics of Bridgeport Connecticut, complain about it and do nothing to rectify it.
Vigilante // Jun 8, 2011 at 9:23 am
to your posting
In short … just a brilliant definition … and even though many may think John Gomes is tilting at windmills with his campaign for Mayor, it is still comforting to know he is committed in his effort to rectify … by replacing the sick, unhealthy, greed-driven, dysfunctional group of people in the current administration led by Bill Finch.
Thank you Carol and Terry Pontillo says “Hello.”