Los Angeles city voters will be asked next Tuesday to approve a city charter amendment that essentially asks this question: should police personnel who are transferred from the Department of General Services to the Los Angeles Police Department be allowed to move their pension plans from the city’s civilian retirement plan to that of the LAPD?
A "yes" vote on Proposition B would allow officers to move their accumulated pension funds into the Fire and Police Pension Plan at their own expense.
The measure would cost nothing for the city or for taxpayers, according to proponents.
As it stands, officers who are transferred from general services — where duties include guarding the civic center and city facilities like zoos, libraries and the convention center — to the regular police force are kept in the Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System.
Opponents claim that the city’s pension system is a major reason Los Angeles is in debt and there’s no guarantee that Proposition B won’t end up costing taxpayers.
Miguel Santana, the city's chief administrative officer, said "the measure is not expected to result in any additional cost to the City or to the City's General Fund." According to Santana's statement on SmartVoter.org, the officers will purchase retirement credit in the LAPD system at their own expense.
Legislative analyst Gerry Miller noted in his review on SmartVoter.org that the proposal requires the transfers be "cost neutral" and that the officers pay the full actuarial cost of service transfers.
For more information on candidates and measures on the ballot, visit SmartVoter.org, the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund website on election information.
