Gurnee, Libertyville concerned about pensions
Gurnee and Libertyville are joining an initiative asking state lawmakers to enact reforms related to police and fire pensions.
Led by the Illinois Municipal League, the effort in part is requesting the General Assembly to stop approving police and fire pension enhancements unless the state pays the freight.
Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik said police and fire pension obligations are out of control in her village. This year, Gurnee must contribute $1.73 million to those pension funds.
"These pension funds, the way they are going, are going to bankrupt us," Kovarik said at a meeting early this week. "Absolutely bankrupt us. We have to have the pensions. We've got to fund them. But it's gotten to the point where there's too much unfunded mandates on it, and we don't have any way to come up with this (money)."
Gurnee Village Administrator James Hayner said he's concerned state legislators have floated eight proposals to boost fire and police pension benefits.
Hayner said lobbyists for villages and cities across Illinois will urge lawmakers to pursue police and fire pension reforms. They would include enacting more measures to prevent disability pension fraud.
"There are people out there on disability (pensions) who shouldn't be," Hayner told Gurnee trustees.
In Libertyville, village board members this week approved a resolution urging the General Assembly to seek pension reform legislation and stop creating mandates that cost money. Gurnee is expected to OK a similar resolution at a village board meeting Monday.
Libertyville officials compiled figures to illustrate what they contend are escalating taxpayer costs for fire and police pensions.
For example, the village's level for its police pension funding was at 80 percent -- just shy of the state's recommended 90 percent -- about 10 years ago. Benefit enhancements approved by state lawmakers have eroded Libertyville's police pension funding level to 66 percent, officials said.
Hayner said police officers and firefighters get half of their salaries if they retire at age 50 with 20 years of service.