The reinvigorated pension fund for Chattanooga’s fire and police personnel means a lot to those who serve.
That’s the message the Chattanooga City Council received from police Lt. Craig Joel, pension board president, on Tuesday. He thanked council members for supporting major boosts to public safety pension funding in the fiscal 2018 budget. Pension funding was one of several challenges that required a tax hike to meet in the city’s new budget year.
“This is the anchor,” Joel said of the revitalized pension program, which received $5.1 million more in the 2018 budget, amounting to a 38 percent increase over last year. “I’ve worked with officers who have been with five departments in a matter of five years. It’s not that difficult.”
The post-employment lifeline impacts everything, from stable service duty to providing for officers’ families after they have passed away, Joel said.
“You’ve secured the professionalism and experiences we have brought to the city,” Joel said, adding the new pension package also allows Chattanooga to be more competitive in attracting new talent to its public safety departments. “There’s just nine departments in this immediate area. They have choices to go to.”