2009 Senate Bill 16 (Extend benefits for certain laid off fire and police employees)

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Introduced by Sen. Tom Buford (R) on January 6, 2009, to allow urban-county governments laying off or suspending police and fire employees to designate that the cause of the termination is related to an increase in employer contributions to the policemen's and firemen's retirement fund. If such a designation is chosen, the employee will receive 40% of salary and 100% of health benefits until finding another job. The extension of pay and benefits would continue for up to ten years.
- Referred to the Senate State and Local Government Committee on January 8, 2009.

Most Recent Comments

1) Re: 2009 Senate Bill 16 (Extend benefits for certain laid off fire and police employees) [by kentuckytom on January 21, 2009]

All this bill does is hurt the citizens of urban county governments. I fully support our emergency response personnel and their dedication to our safety, but this is still a job, still service to our community, and since public safety takes such a huge percentage of our city budgets, we cannot get away from having to cut all areas. With this legistlation, we would have to lay off at least twice as many safety personnel to make the same budget reduction that we would get without the legistlation. We then have fewer police and fire working the streets, reducing our safety and raising the crime rate. With fewer jobs and a failing economy, our taxes would have to go up even more to pay the retirement fees, ridiculous disability retirement rates, and now a ton more for partial pay and full benefits, with no return on investment! If you are a police or fire man, ask yourself if you would rather double the chances that you would have to be cut and live on 40% salary for a time, and if you are a citizen or employee anywhere in an urban county governing area ask if you are willing to pay more for higher crime, less safety coverage, fewer police, and fewer fire departments, while suffering the economic crisis yourself and probably having no guarantee of salary and health coverage.

Will you still be happy to pay for the police and fire personnel salaries for no coverage if you have little or no income? The answer is in the numbers, and Senate Bill 16 is not a good number.

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2) Re: 2009 Senate Bill 16 (Extend benefits for certain laid off fire and police employees) [by Anonymous on December 12, 2008]

Thank You Sen. Buford. This bill is a great step towards fiscal responsibility and public safety accountability.

Gerald Evans

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3) Re: 2009 Senate Bill 16 (Extend benefits for certain laid off fire and police employees) [by Anonymous on December 10, 2008]

Thank you Sen. Buford & all who support this bill.

Fiscal responsibility is something that must occasionally be forced upon a city and I believe this is a step in the right directions. Thanks for your support of public safety.

J.R.

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