House Leader Ponders Phasing In Shift In Teacher Pension Costs To Municipalities
EAST HARTFORD, CT — House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said he hasn’t ruled out Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposal to shift one-third of the teacher pension costs to cities and towns.
During a public finance panel discussion Wednesday organized by State Treasurer Denise Nappier, Aresimowicz said he understands the “logic” behind Malloy’s proposal, which has been widely criticized by municipal officials.
He said municipalities are the ones that hire the teachers and set the salaries which will dictate what the pension is going to be. He said when municipalities set the salaries they assume the state will take care of the pension, but this proposal gives municipalities some ownership of those costs.
However, Aresimowicz suggested that the $400 million would be phased in over a period of five years. It’s unclear exactly what that would mean for the state budget savings or the cities and towns.
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