Next year’s budget, the pension system and labor negotiations will all be items of discussion this week at City Hall.
Mayor Jerry Sanders will formally present his budget proposal for the coming 2008 fiscal year today after rolling out various bits throughout last week. Sanders is taking a political gamble by declaring that the spending plan will not decrease the services San Diegans receive. You can view the entire budget proposal here.
The city is wrapping up its negotiations with labor unions today as well. Sanders has tentatively agreed to increase police pay by as much as 9 percent, while the firefighters and deputy city attorneys unions walked away from the bargaining table with out a raise offer. However, Council President Scott Peters has said he is considering providing firefighters a raise after agreeing to freeze their wages and pay more for their retirement benefits in recent years. Several firefighters are expected to rally outside City Hall at lunchtime.
Joe Esuchanko and Gene Kalwarski, the actuaries hired by the city and pension system, respectively, will discuss the financial health of the city’s retirement fund Monday. The fund is currently running a $1 billion deficit and the city anticipates depositing $165 million into the fund next year. Peters’ told the pension system that City Attorney Mike Aguirre would only ask questions of Kalwarski in writing because of the ongoing pension litigation, which prompted Aguirre to allege that Peters was stifling the public process.
Check back for updates today and throughout the week.