The LeRoy Collins Institute, a non-partisan think tank at Florida State University, recently released a report grading 151 municipal pension plans across Florida.
A quick snapshot of some of the grades, from the Florida Times-Union:
Fernandina Beach general employees – F
Fernandina Beach police/firefighters – F
Jacksonville corrections officers – F
Jacksonville police/firefighters – D
Atlantic Beach police – D
Orange Park firefighters – D
Orange Park general employees – D
Orange Park police – D
Palatka firefighters – D
Palatka general employees – D
Atlantic Beach general employees – C
Jacksonville general employees – C
St. Augustine general employees – B
St. Augustine police – A
Palatka police – A
The author of the report told the Florida Times-Union:
“Many cities are in urgent need of reform that will help reverse this decline in healthy pension funds and get more plans headed toward the honor roll,” said David Matkin, assistant professor at University of Albany-SUNY, who wrote the report.
Jacksonville’s Mayor, Alvin Brown, said he considering putting pension reform ideas on the table for the Corrections Officers Fund, the General Employees Fund and the Police and Fire Fund.