Mobile fire fighters and police of the city of Mobile have not come to see eye to eye about  the police and fire fighters pensions. The city officials has mentioned  that the police and  fire fighters pension is having a hard time being funded by the city budget. The question that all fire fighters and police have is why is this an liability and why is the pension not being funded properly by the city? The city of Mobile started paying  men of the fire department in September 1,1888 and later in 1957 the IAFF local 1349 union was formed. When the 1349 union was formed it wasn't long after that the city would help fund fire fighter and police pensions. The employee would contribute an amount of their pay each month and the city would contribute a certain amount. The fire fighter and police retirement plan was established by the Alabama State Legislature Act on September 2, 1964.

The city is required to contribute an actuarially a determined amount each plan year. The following information come from the City of Mobile Alabama police and fire fighters retirement plan actuarial valuation report as of October 1, 2006. The city's contribution is determined as of October 1st  of each plan year and the contribution must be made within 18 months. Employee contribution for participants who have earned less than 30 years of service are required to contribute 8% of basic salary. The plan also receives 2% of gross fire insurance premiums collected on policies which cover property within the City of Mobile city limits. The city must contribute the difference between the minimum contribution for the plan year and amounts collected from other collection sources. For the 2006/07 plan year the minimum required contribution is $16,108,062. Members are expected to contribute $2384,062 of this amount and another $1,193,707 is estimated to come from fines and insurance premium taxes. If the city is collecting all these taxes and fines and contributing a difference of $12,530,293  by March 31, 2008. I give credit for the above facts from the City of Mobile Alabama police and fire fighters retirement plan actuarial valuation report as of October 1,2006. You can read more about the police and fire fighter retirement plan by clicking on the link below . Credit for the above information is given to the following website  http://http://www.cityofmobile.org/pension/pdf/Actuarial_Valuation_Report06.PDF

The unfunded liability is $ 130,000,000 and the mayor and council members are surely aware of this growing figure of an unfunded liability of the police and fire fighters pension retirement plan.

The point this reporter is trying to make is that the employees that are police and fire fighters have been paying their part all these years. If  the city has been required to pay their part then why is the police and fire fighters retirement pension a drain on the city? From what this report shows it looks like the police and fire fighters pay more than a fair share into the city pension retirement plan. From what it looks like the current Mayor came into office with this problem facing himself and his council members to come up with some way to help make police and fire fighters pensions and retirements safe and sound.

This administration so far has raised employees insurance rates they pay per month along with higher co-pays and deductibles. Changed the overtime policies to keep from paying employees overtime under certain circumstances. This Mayor and his council has it's work cut out for themselves in looking for a way to do their part in finding a way of funding fighters and police pensions for retirement. Credit for information in this article is found at the city's website listed below this paragraph the list of all the reports on the police and fire fighters pension fund click on the link below . http://http://www.cityofmobile.org/pension/actuary_reports.php

Click on this link http://http://www.cityofmobile.org/cityofficials/council_meetings.php  to see what the city councils agenda meeting will be about from month to month.

If you are interested in working for the City of Mobile in the public safety field click on the link below.

http://http://www.cityofmobile.org/public_safety.php

For a list of city officials click on this link http://http://www.cityofmobile.org/cityofficials/  to find the City of Mobile and it's officials. Click on any of the links in this article concerning the City of Mobile and it's local Government and how the city officials run Mobile.