The race to get the latest pension reform deal in front of City Council tonight will come up short.
Council President Clay Yarborough informed Mayor Alvin Brown’s administration by email he wouldn’t add the bill to tonight’s council addendum.
Yarborough said he has several concerns including language differences between versions he received from the administration and the Police and Fire Pension Fund, insufficient time to review, and a lack of personal communication from Brown on the topic.
Yarborough said he received the fund’s version Friday and the administration’s version from Chris Hand, Brown’s chief of staff, today.
In addition, Yarborough said he questioned whether the fund board approved a bill that was in its final form since Brown did not sign the bill.
“Out of concern over these items, I cannot authorize addition of the legislation to tonight’s addendum,” Yarborough wrote.
Hand responded shortly after, saying the “pension reform issue has been lingering for more than seven years” and asked him to reconsider.
If added to the addendum, Hand said there would be “ample time” for council members and others to review before committees take up the issue the first week of February.
“Respectfully, our only goal is to keep the retirement reform process moving forward,” Hand wrote.
The fund’s board made changes Jan. 5 to what council approved Dec. 9. Tonight is the first meeting since then.
If Yarborough holds firm, the earliest pension reform would come back before council is in two weeks.
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