02 City Council (9/04/03) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Springs are both 6% 2 to 1 match. Regular City Council Meeting September 4,2003 Page 19 , and the city employees appreciate the 6% 2 to 1 Mayor Fendley said he feels if they leave the retirement at 6%, 2 for 1, they have a discrepancy with the Fire Department as far as he was concerned. He felt that the Fire Department should either be at 12% or 6% and 2 for 1, or everyone be at 5% and 2 for 1. It needs to be on equal footing. City Manager Malone advised that the Fire Department had a retirement system long before the other employees had one. It was started in 1948 and the other one came in the 60's. So, they have had their own retirement system and it is set up differently. They have a board that governs how much they contribute. The City Manager informed the Council that there is one city that is conducting a study to see what it would take to bring their separate Fire Department Retirement System into the TMRS, and that might be something the City of Paris might want to look at. Councilwoman Neeley said the city contributes 11.8 for all employees except the Fire Department and it contributes 10% for them. Mr. Anderson explained that this is the first year for that, but for all the prior years, that would be less than the 10% with TMRS. So, the Fire Department has been receiving more than the other employees for several years. Councilman Plata stated that it was his opinion that they should go back to the 5% - 2 for 1 match. Councilman Plata said he had a problem because last year they were not told everything. Mayor Pro Tem McCarthy said he has a problem with taking the 1% away from the employees because that is all they received last year, and he did not want to be an Indian giver and he does not feel right about taking this away. Councilwoman Neeley said that she has a problem with this, also.