Common Sense Pension Reform Moves Forward

PSATS Applauds Senate Finance Committee for
Supporting Common-Sense Municipal Pension Reforms

In response to the state Senate Finance Committee’s support of House Bill 414, David M. Sanko, executive director of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, has issued the following statement:

"State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has said that when it comes to pension reform continued inaction is not an option.

"Today, the Senate Finance Committee took an important step toward change when it supported House Bill 414. This legislation embraces many of the common-sense recommendations developed earlier this year by the Governor’s Task Force on Municipal Pension Reform, which the auditor general chaired.
"Namely, HB 414 would exclude municipal pension benefits from the collective bargaining process. It also includes tools to ensure that pension benefits for police and other public safety employees are adequately funded while giving municipalities sustainable and affordable options for providing these benefits in the future.

"PSATS commends the Senate Finance Committee for moving legislation forward that would strengthen and stabilize the financial future of Pennsylvania’s municipalities. We also want to thank Sen. John Eichelberger, who chairs the committee, for his leadership and steadfast commitment to meaningful municipal pension reform."

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About PSATS: PSATS represents the 1,454 townships of the second class across Pennsylvania. Townships, in turn, represent 5.5 million Pennsylvanians, more than any other type of political subdivision in the commonwealth and cover 95 percent of the commonwealth’s land mass.