AURORA | The Aurora ballot is one question lighter. City council members voted to leave a question regarding police pensions off the ballot at a special meeting Tuesday.
Last week the council approved the language for the question, which is the result of an impasse between the city and Aurora Police Association, the department’s union.
The dispute centers on the union wanting to switch from a locally-controlled defined contribution retirement plan, called the MPPA plan, to a statewide defined benefit plan, the FPPA plan, which comprises 200 other Colorado public safety agencies, including the Aurora Fire Department.
A city council report was published earlier this month recommending the police department stick to the MPPA plan, but that the city increase pay and time off for some employees. While the city agreed to the recommendations, the union didn’t. The big contention between the two is the pension. Because of the impasse the charter dictates the decision can go to voters.
It was originally supposed to. But last minute, the question was pulled from the ballot. The city has until Sept. 7 to certify the ballot.
Gregg Gallozzi, vice president of the union, told city council members Tuesday the association “understand that the way to come to an agreement is to continue talking.”
The issue had city council members split.
Council member Allison Hiltz said at a previous meeting she questions the findings from the report because it cites the American Legislative Exchange Council — a right-leaning policy organization that tends to object to defined-benefit plans — a handful of times in the 80-plus sources used in the report.
Hiltz said she supports allowing the union to choose its pension plan.
Bob Wesner, president of the Aurora Police Association, said during a city council meeting last month that council members who vote to put the question on the ballot send a message to police officers in the city that they aren’t supported by elected city officials.
Council members Johnny Watson, Angela Lawson and Francoise Bergan each said that wasn’t the case, and that the issue is more complicated than simply supporting the police department — because they all do.
Council member Nicole Johnston said in a Facebook post that her position on the issue is fiscal. “Yes, progressives can be fiscally responsible,” she joked.
Hypothetically, Johnston said if the FPPA wants the city to contribute $3 million, the city would have to. And with a balanced budget that money would have to come from somewhere else.
Johnston also took issue with police retirees not being able to join the FPPA plan. According to the independent report, there are nearly 170 retirees who would be left without a pension plan.
Wesner echoed his comments later to the Sentinel, even as it was likely the ballot question would be pulled.
“The vote happened last week is a vote of how much our city council cares about our police officers,” Wesner said, adding that some that voted for the question were even endorsed by the union.
“They never reached out to us. They sent a message of how they feel,” he said.
City council members in favor of keeping the MPPA plan said they worried about the city losing control of the pension. Being forced to possibly contribute more could impact the budget, which by charter, has to be balanced. But the union said it should save the city money, as the city would contribute 8.5 percent rather than 10 percent.
Wesner said union members supports the state plan for a variety of other reasons, too.
“Currently there is no post-retirement health plan,” he said. “With our current pension, there is no reason for an officer to come work in the city of Aurora.”
Denver is Aurora’s biggest competitor when it comes to police work, Wesner added. He claims that’s because of the FPPA pension plan and better pay.
During negotiations this year both the city and union agreed on pay raises and an extra paid day off for non-administrative employees.