University Park Plans Changes to Firefighter Pension Plan

UNIVERSITY PARK -- The fire department's 76-year-old pension plan may be replaced if a deal between the city and its firefighters passes during this year's legislative session.University Park has asked the legislature to amend the firefighters pension, so they can place all of the fire department's new hires in the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS). By doing so, the city would be able to eventually exit out of the University Park Firemen's Relief and Retirement Fund (FRRF), which is the current pension program for the fire department. All city employees, including the police department, are already in the TMRS plan. Fire department employees are the only ones with a separate pension plan, said Robbie Corder, University Park city manager. "This has been an issue that we've been looking for quite some time," Corder said. "It's not dire straight by any means, but it's increasing costs and increasing crew liability started to become a concern."  Continue reading...