The two finalists for the Police and Fire Pension Fund executive director were seen as being almost dead even after their interviews Tuesday morning.
In the end, the board went with the candidate they believed could best repair a fractured relationship with City Hall and the public.
Timothy Johnson, 57, will have his work cut out for him. The Allegheny County Employees’ Retirement System head was unanimously selected by the fund’s board of trustees Tuesday afternoon, capping a national search to find a replacement for longtime fund administrator John Keane, who retired.
Johnson edged out Corrine Koch, administrator for the International Painters and Allied Trades Industry Pension Fund.
Board chair Larry Schmitt, who represents police employees, said he gave the slight edge to Johnson because of his communication skills and belief Johnson could help improve the organization’s perception by working with the mayor, City Council and fund members.
The fund’s up-and-down relationship with City Hall has seemed to have more lows than highs in recent years.
The board has been heavily criticized for creating an illegal pension plan that let Keane and several employees accrue a more lucrative retirement.
Most recently, Mayor Lenny Curry referred to board members as “cronies” after they asked for an attorney general opinion about legal representation.
The fresh start is seen as a way to mend those fences.
“That will be very important for us going forward,” said Schmitt.
Johnson comes from a system that is both larger and smaller in certain respects.
The Allegheny system has close to 12,000 members, double Jacksonville’s size. But in terms of assets, its almost $800 million is half of Jacksonville’s $1.6 billion.
The jump in asset size was a point of discussion among board members, but ultimately they thought the support staff and Johnson’s knowledge would lessen any learning curve.
Johnson’s roles in the Pittsburgh-area system were varied. He’s been director of the county system since 2012.
Before that, he was an administrative services director for the county as well as a trustee for the retirement board.
That varied background, he said, allows him to appreciate different perspectives of a pension system.
During his interview, he mentioned the importance of digitizing records during his time in Pittsburgh — something Jacksonville currently lacks — and the importance of transparency. Johnson also served as the Allegheny open records officer from 2009-12.
Another part of his interview is sure to win over a few folks in City Hall.
Asked about solutions to help the plan’s unfunded liability, Johnson told the board the August referendum to extend a half-cent sales tax would be key.
Curry and several council members are heavily stumping for that plan.
Schmitt said after the meeting he thought the board would express to Johnson that he go forth and be the fund’s public face of passing that referendum.
First, though, Johnson and the fund must come to a contract agreement.
The position will pay $175,000-$200,000 annually. Schmitt said a best-case scenario would have Johnson in the role by mid-July.
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