San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith dispensed some proof today.
Goldsmith blessed a major plank in City Councilman Carl DeMaio’s pension reform plan, in a publicly released legal opinion. From the U-T:
The city of San Diego can legally freeze the base salaries of its workers as a long-term solution that would shave hundreds of millions of dollars off its $2.1 billion pension deficit, according to a legal opinion released Monday by City Attorney Jan Goldsmith.
The freeze would lock salaries at their current level, and in essence, cap the size of a worker’s future pension. Employees could still receive additional compensation through incentive pay that would not apply toward pension calculations.
The story also quotes Mayor Jerry Sanders as welcoming Goldsmith’s opinion.
Goldsmith’s action also helps DeMaio out of a pickle we reported Sunday evening. DeMaio had insisted that his plan was legal. But his proof was a private legal opinion the public wasn’t allowed to see. That opinion hasn’t been released.
Please contact Liam Dillon directly at liam.dillon@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5663 and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/dillonliam.