Macon-Bibb pension plan adjustment could cost $839,000 in first year
Macon-Bibb County officials moved closer Tuesday to approving an annual cost-of-living adjustment for more than 1,400 members of one of the county's pension plans.
The County Commission approved in a 7-0 vote the first reading of an ordinance that would provide a 1.5 percent COLA to 495 retirees and 883 current employees who are under the Macon-Bibb County Pension Plan. The increase would cost $839,352 during the first year, county officials said.
The commission must next pass the resolution at its April 19 meeting for it to become official. Commissioner Scotty Shepherd abstained from Tuesday's vote, and Commissioner Gary Bechtel did not attend the meeting.
Proponents in favor of the COLA said it will bring the plan closer in line with increases that the two other local government pension plans have received since the city and county consolidated in January 2014.
Commissioner Virgil Watkins said the COLA is about being fair to its pension members. The plan allows county commissioners the option to end the increase.
"Trying to achieve equality is something we've talked about since the beginning of consolidation," he said during Tuesday's pre-commission meeting. "This is an issue that we left on our back burner that affects our past employees and current employees."
During the pre-commission meeting, Mayor Robert Reichert asked officials to postpone taking a vote on the measure. He said the next city-county budget will include the proposed 1.5 percent increase.
That would be a better method financially for the county instead of having the increase occur yearly, Reichert said.
"Nothing prevents us from voluntarily doing this, just not making it automatic," he said.
LEVEE SYSTEM TO BE STUDIED
The commission approved a resolution Tuesday that will pour nearly $1 million into studying how to better prevent flooding along the Ocmulgee River.
The money includes $421,590 provided by the Macon Water Authority and a $521,590 grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The study will "evaluate and identify" ways to improve the levee system along a 5.5-mile stretch of the river, according to the resolution.
The water authority's portion comes from a fund set aside for certain uses by Macon-Bibb County government.
In recent months flooding from the river has led to temporary closings of Amerson Water Park and the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail. In 1994, Macon was ravaged by flooding along the Ocmulgee, causing a drinking water emergency and causing sections of the city to shut down.
"The Macon levee is in need of evaluation because of trees and shrubs growing along it, water boiling up out of sandy ground behind it, and other structural issues," the resolution said.
GUNS IN AIRPORTS ORDINANCE UPDATED
County commissioners also made changes Tuesday to the county's local ordinance regarding firearms in airports.
The resolution aligns the county's ordinance with state law that was enacted in 2014. Since that time, Macon-Bibb has followed the law that allows firearms to be carried in airports up to security checkpoints.
Tuesday's resolution has been described by county officials as "housekeeping."
Another state legislative bill, however, could impact firearms being carried in the section of Macon Downtown Airport where Middle Georgia State University leases space.
Gov. Nathan Deal has until May 3 to make a decision about whether to sign the campus carry bill. Currently, firearms aren't allowed in that area of the Macon Downtown Airport.
To contact writer Stanley Dunlap, call 744-4623 or find him on Twitter@stan_telegraph.
This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 8:02 PM with the headline "Macon-Bibb pension plan adjustment could cost $839,000 in first year ."