Des Plaines wants to take lead on pension reform

Des Plaines will pay $10,000 to have a role in crafting police and fire pension reform legislation that Mayor Matt Bogusz says is sure to be considered by state lawmakers.

The payment to the Pension Fairness for Illinois Communities Coalition will enable Des Plaines city leaders to "have a seat at the table," Bogusz said, in crafting a bill over the coming months that attempts to address the state's growing public safety pension liability.

The coalition was organized in 2009 by a group of 110 municipalities who helped author legislation, signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn in 2010, that created a second tier of lower pension benefits for new public safety employees. But the legislation, Senate Bill 3538, didn't address retirement benefits for current employees.

The coalition, managed by officials with the Northwest Municipal Conference, is reorganizing in an attempt to draft legislation addressing pensions of current police and firefighters.

According to Bogusz, state lawmakers likely to take the lead on advancing pension reform legislation in Springfield, including State Rep. Elaine Nekritz, State Sen. Daniel Biss and State Sen. Matt Murphy, said recently at a Northwest Municipal Conference brunch that "the bill they get from the coalition is going to be the bill they will support."

By signing up as a "foundation member" of the committee, Bogusz said, Des Plaines will be able to be actively involved in discussions with other municipal leaders, as well as an actuary and PR firm hired by the coalition, in developing legislation. The mayor said Des Plaines Finance Director Dorothy Wisniewski would sit on the committee.

The city council voted 5-2 this week to join the coalition and authorize the $10,000 payment, with Aldermen Dick Sayad and Patricia Haugeberg voting in opposition.

Sayad said Des Plaines is on the right track with funding its police and firefighter pensions, at the state-required 50 percent funding level. He said the city's three lobbyists should already be advocating on the city's behalf in Springfield.

"Here's what's beautiful about this: We're going to go down to Springfield and we're going to tell our representatives, 'Hey, here's what you should do.' They're going to say, 'What? We know what to do. We put this predicament in the place it's in right now,'" Sayad said. "I think we're in la la land."

Des Plaines didn't contribute to the coalition the first time it helped create pension reform legislation in 2009, though the city later signed a letter of agreement affirming the bill that was developed.

Bogusz said it's possible Des Plaines could "sit on the sidelines" this time and a bill that benefits the city could still be crafted and enacted into law, but that would be "too big of a risk."

"We are one of largest governments in suburban Cook County. We need to take leadership on regional issues that matter to us," Bogusz said. "I don't want to leave it up to Aurora or Naperville to craft this legislation for us. I want to make sure we have a seat at that table."

So far, those who have signed onto the coalition include Wheeling, Evanston, Aurora, the Northwest Municipal Conference, Lake County Municipal League, DuPage Mayors & Managers Conference, Southwest Conference of Mayors and Illinois Municipal League.