Suit Likely if Raises to Retirees Aren’t Paid
Scranton’s police pension board plans to sue the city if members don’t get their raises.
Only the pension board has the authority to administer the pension funds, board solicitor Larry Durkin said Wednesday. That means the Pennsylvania city had no right to halt raises based on its claim that the severely distressed funds cannot not afford to pay them.
According to The Times-Tribune, Mr. Durkin advised the city of the pending lawsuit in a letter Tuesday that demands it rescind its directive that halted the increases.
The letter is one of two pending actions that challenge the city’s decision. Dave Gervasi, president of the firefighters pension board, said the firefighters’ union has also filed a grievance over the matter.
Advised of the developments Wednesday, Councilmen Wayne Evans and Bill Gaughan lashed out at police and firefighters.
“This decision to me is ludicrous,” Mr. Evans said. “When the pension is at this level, raises can’t be given to anyone … We should all be looking at how we can solve the pension problem. All we are dong is exacerbating it with the threat of lawsuits.”
Mr. Gaughan had even harsher words, saying the public safety workers were “delusional” and obsessed by “greed.”
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