Retirement Reform

Mayor Alvin Brown is committed to retirement reform that provides for a sustainable and fair solution for both city employees and hard working taxpayers. On this page, you can find information on the efforts the city has made with public safety, general employees and community stakeholders to find a solution to this important issue in our community.

Retirement Reform Taskforce

On July 3, 2013, Mayor Alvin Brown announced the formation of the Jacksonville Retirement Reform Task Force, which led by attorney William Scheu of Jacksonville as chairman.

The Task Force is comprised of 16 community leaders committed to Jacksonville’s future who will review the proposed public safety pension reform agreement, seek input from stakeholders and other interested citizens, and make recommendations on how the City should proceed.

List of Retirement Reform Task Force Members (PDF)

Have feedback for the Task Force? Email RetirementReform@coj.net.

Meeting Information

March 6, 2014 at 1 p.m.

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Notice

Feb. 24, 2014 at 1 p.m.

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Notice | Listen to audio (.mp3) | Watch the video

Handouts

• Presentation to the Jacksonville Pension Reform Task Force by David Draine, The Pew Charitable Trusts (PDF 366K)

Feb. 19, 2014 at 1 p.m.

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Notice | Listen to audio (.mp3) | Watch the video

Handouts

• Sheriff Rutherford's letter to Chairman Scheu (PDF 395K)
• Presentation to the Jacksonville Pension Reform Task Force by David Draine, The Pew Charitable Trusts (PDF 287K)
• Normal Cost Analysis handout (PDF 252K)
• Sources of funds handout from Chairman Scheu (PDF 17K)
• Handout from Thomas J. Thomas, Jr. (PDF 55K)

Feb. 18, 2014 at 8:30 a.m. - Plan Funding Sub-Committee

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Notice | Listen to audio (.mp3) | Watch the video 

Feb. 12, 2014 at 9 a.m.

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Notice | Listen to audio (.mp3) | Watch the video

Handouts

• "Freeze, 40, and Forward" Presentation by Tom Majdanics (PDF 836K)
• Presentation to the Jacksonville Pension Reform Task Force by David Draine, The Pew Charitable Trusts (PDF 310K)

Jan. 30, 2014 at 3 p.m. - Plan Funding Sub-Committee

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Notice | Listen to audio (.mp3)

Jan. 29, 2014 at 9 a.m.

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Notice | Watch the video

Handouts

• JEA Presentation to the Jacksonville Retirement Reform Task Force (PDF 590K)
• The Pew Charitable Trusts Presentation (PDF 629K)

Jan. 21, 2014 at 1 p.m.

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Notice | Agenda | Watch the video | listen to audio (.mp3)

Handouts

• Retirement Reform Proposals for Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund (PDF  29K) [Redline version (PDF 110K)]
• Mayor Alvin Brown's remarks (PDF 2.2MB)
• Mayor's Office Powerpoint presentation (PDF 191K)
• Jacksonville Public Safety Officers' Pension Benefit Committee proposal (PDF 9K)
• Forwarded email from John Keane, PFPF (PDF 56K)
• Jan. 22, 2014 Email from Task Force Chair Bill Scheu (PDF 52K) 
• University of Massachussetts Amherst: What Does the Literature Tell Us About the Possible Effect of Changing Retirement Benefits on Public Employee Effectiveness? by Christian E. Weller, Oct. 2011 (PDF 15MB)

Jan. 8, 2014 at 9 a.m.

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Notice | Watch the video | Listen to audio (.mp3)

Handouts

• DRAFT Retirement Reform Proposals for Jacksonville Police and Fires Pension Fund (PDF 284K)
• DRAFT Plan Funding Sub-Committee Report (PDF 395K)
• Presentation to the Jacksonville Task Force on Pension Reform, David Draine, The Pew Charitable Trusts (PDF 300K)

Jan. 3, 2014 at 8:30 a.m. - Plan Funding Sub-Committee

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Notice | Agenda | Listen to audio (.mp3)

Handouts

• Supplementary Analysis by David Draine, The Pew Charitable Trusts

Jan. 2, 2014 at 8:30 a.m. - Plan Funding Sub-committee

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Notice | Agenda | Listen to audio (.mp3)

Handouts

• Remarks to the Jacksonville Retirement Reform Task Force Funding Sub-Committee, David Draine, The Pew Charitable Trusts

Dec. 5, 2013 at 9 a.m.

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Notice | Watch the video | Listen to audio (.mp3)

Handouts

• Slideshow: Remarks to Jacksonville Task Force on Pension Reform, David Draine, The Pew Charitable Trusts
• Slideshow: Governance & Investment Practices, Jonathan Trichter, Maeva Municipal Solutions

Nov. 5, 2013 at 5 p.m.

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Notice | Watch the video | Listen to audio (.mp3)

Handouts

• Mayor Brown's prepared remarks
• TRUE Commission Report
• Bill Gassett presentation
• Curtis Lee presentation
• Connie Benham email
• Frank Killackey email
• John Carr email
• William Cassity email
• Cecil Hoskins presentation
• James Rinaman presentation
• Joe Andrews presentation
• John Keane presentation
• Sandy Enos presentation

Oct. 29, 2013 at 9 a.m.

Ed Ball Building, Room 851
214 North Hogan Street
Notice | Watch the video | Listen to audio: Part 1 (.mp3), Part 2 (.mp3)

Handouts

• Slideshow: Preliminary Findings on the Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund
• Prepared remarks by David Draine, Pew Charitable Trusts
• Revised remarks by Jonathan Trichter, MAEVA Municipal Solutions (revised Nov. 5, 2013)

Sept. 20, 2013 at 1 p.m.

Ed Ball Building, Room 851
214 North Hogan Street
Watch the video | Listen to audio (.mp3)

Sept. 16, 2013 at 9 a.m.

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Watch the video | Listen to audio (.mp3)

Handouts

• Pew Charitable Trust Handout

Aug. 21, 2013 at 2 p.m.

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
Watch the video | Listen to audio (.mp3)

Handouts

• Police and Fire Pension Fund Handout
• Atlanta Pension Reform Case Study slideshow

July 10, 2013 at 2 p.m.

City Hall - St. James, Lynwood Roberts Room
117 West Duval Street
View the meeting agenda | Watch the video

Find below a list of documents provided to the Task Force for their review.

Handouts

• Bios of Retirement Reform Task Force members (.pdf)
• Audio: July 3, 2013, media conference call regarding Retirement Reform Task Force (.mp3)
• Audio: (Part 2) July 3, 2013, media conference call regarding Retirement Reform Task Force (.mp3)
• Index of documents provided to Jacksonville Retirement Reform Taskforce (.pdf)

• Background Information on Municipal Pension Changes

  • Summit Strategies Report, Dec. 21, 2012 (.pdf)
  • Mayor John Peyton's Proposed Pension Reform Elements for Prospective Police and Fire Employees (.pdf)
  • Leroy Collins Institue Report, Feb. 2011 (.pdf)
  • Leroy Collins Institute Report, Nov. 2011 (.pdf)
  • Leroy Collins Institute Report, Sept. 2012 (.pdf)
  • JCCI's "Our Money, Our City: Financing Jacksonville's Future" Report, Spring 2009 (.pdf)
  • Mayor Brown's Pension Transition Committee Report, Aug. 2011 (.pdf)

• Information on Proposed Retirement Reform Agreement

  • Ordinance 2013-366 (.pdf)
  • Council Auditor's Comments on 2013-366 (.pdf)
  • Filed Mediation Settlement Agreement (.pdf)
  • Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Preliminary Budget (.pdf)
  • Police & Fire Pension Fund Confirmation by Consulting Actuary (.pdf)
  • News Release: Mayor Brown, Public Safety Employees Announce Historic Agreement on Retirement Reform, May 8, 2013 (.pdf)
  • Retirement Reform Actuarial Analysis (.pdf)
  • Retirement Reform Presentation to Council Finance Committee, June 27, 2013 (.pdf)

• Legal Information Related to Retirement Reform

  • Thirty Year Agreement and Amendments (.pdf)
  • City of Jacksonville's Motion to Dismiss Complaint (.pdf)
  • Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief (.pdf)
  • Police and Fire Pension Fund, Board of Trustees' Motion to Dismiss Complaint (.pdf)

• Other Points of View

  • Jacksonville Civic Council Response, June 20, 2013 (.pdf)

Police and Fire Employees

On May 8, 2013, Mayor Alvin Brown announced an agreement on retirement reform with the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters (JAFF), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), and Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund (JPFPF).

The agreement is projected to save taxpayers approximately $1.1 billion over 30 years, including almost $50 million in the next Fiscal Year alone (Oct. 1, 2013 to Sept. 30, 2014). To put those numbers in perspective, the first year savings alone are the same amount of money needed to pay the compensation of approximately 800 city employees. The savings equal the combined budgets of the Jacksonville Public Libraries and the City Planning and Development Department.

“I greatly respect our brave public safety employees and the important work they do for our community,” said Mayor Brown. “This agreement is a product of partnership between the City and public safety professionals. Together, we have achieved retirement reform that will help ensure financial sustainability for both taxpayers and employees.” Read More

Resources

• News Release: Mayor Brown, Public Safety Employees Announce Historic Agreement on Retirement Reform May 8, 2013  (.pdf)
• Mayor Alvin Brown's Remarks May 8, 2013 (.pdf)
• Video: News Conference, May 8, 2013
• Side-By-Side Comparison: Police & Fire Employees in the PFPF (.pdf)
• Summary: Employee Contributions & Future Savings Opportunities (.pdf)
• Summary: PFPF Governance (.pdf)
• Ordinance 2013-366 (.pdf)
• Actuarial Analysis of Retirement Reform Agreement (.pdf)
• Presentation: Council Finance Committee, June 27, 2013 (.pdf)
• Video: Finance Committee Meeting, June 27, 2013
• News Release: Mayor Creates Retirement Reform Task Force (.pdf) 
• Bios of Retirement Reform Task Force members (.pdf)
• Audio: July 3, 2013, media conference call regarding Retirement Reform Task Force (.mp3)
• Audio: (Part 2) July 3, 2013, media conference call regarding Retirement Reform Task Force (.mp3)
• Email from Mayor Brown: What financial experts are saying (.pdf) July 19, 2013
  • Fitch Ratings Report, July 9, 2013  (.pdf)
  • Standard & Poor's Report, July 11, 2013 (.pdf)
  • Moody's Report, July 12, 2013 (.pdf)

General Employees

Resources

• News Release: Mayor Brown, AFSCME Announce Agreement on Retirement Reform May 21, 2013 (.pdf)
• News Release: Mayor Brown, Jacksonville Supervisors Association Announce Retirement Reform Agreement May, 22, 2013 (.pdf)
• Side-By-Side Comparison:  General Employees Retirement Plan Agreement with AFSCME and JSA Employees (.pdf)