Police pensions may be in trouble

Weirton city officials are investigating police pension calculations and may have no choice but to raise the Police and Fire Civil Service fee in the future.

Mayor Mark Harris stated the City of Weirton currently has 38 police officers employed and 40 retirees drawing pensions. He said the situation the pension board is facing now is similar to Federal Social Security.

"The current workers are paying into the pensions and they are being paid out now," he said. "They are just playing catch up."

Harris said one problem with the situation is two more individuals are drawing than there are paying into the fund leaving the fund short. He said the pensions were also hurt by the economic downturn and the crash in the market approximately a year ago.

Another determining factor, said Harris, is the decline in population. He said over the past two years alone, the city has lost nearly 2,000 citizens. He said when declines in population occur, "unfortunately the remaining citizens must pick up the bill" even when costs increase.

According to Harris, police pension board members have been determining pensions using the same calculations for more than 20 years. He said an investigation is being launched to determine whether or not the calculations are correct.

Harris said, on an accounting level, numbers from one firm came back correct while another firm suggested calculations were wrong. He said if the calculations are wrong, the city does not plan to go after money already distributed but will look to make the adjustment on future payments.

However, the city may have to raise the Police and Fire Civil Service fee, he added.

The Weirton Police and Fire Civil Service Fee is $50 a year per residence and $0.15 per square foot per business a year. Harris said the city may have to supplement a higher portion of the pension fund leaving no choice but to raise the fee, which has remained the same for more than six years.

"Everyone wants police protection immediately when they call for it; they want fire protection if their home would catch fire; they want pot holes fixed and utilities taken care of," he said. "If citizens want to maintain the protection of the city and services they currently have, they are going to have to pay for it and everything can't stay the same."

Harris stated the city cut back positions to keep costs down and avoid having to raise fees for such things, but said cutting back can only go so far. He said the bills are going to continue to go up and cutting back is eventually going to keep hurting the city.

"Weirton has the cheapest water rates, taxes and fees in the area," he said. "Surrounding cities are not as safe as this city is but services like that have to be paid for and Weirton Steel is no longer around to bail the city out so the citizens have to take care of it."

(Dickson can be contacted at adickson@weirtondailytimes.com)