Write a letter to your local newspaper!

Across the state, pension payments are helping Colorado through these tough economic times. We already know that PERA is a economic driver for our state. A study by Pacey Economics found that PERA generates $6.5 Billion in economic output in 2018. And now, a national report released in March 2020 by the National Institute on Retirement Security, found that retirees who are in a pension plan are critical to their local economies in small towns and rural communities.  Check out this great graphic from PERA.

PERA is facing some pretty big hits – from the downturn in the market to the potential cuts in payments from the state as required by SB18-200. Now is the time to be vocal about the importance of your pension, especially if you are a retiree in a small or rural community.

Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about the positive impact your pension has in your community. Need some help? Use this helpful form to submit a letter to your local newspaper.

Will State Budget Cuts Hurt PERA?

As part of the unprecedented budget balancing efforts to address the drastic shortfall from the Corona virus pandemic, Colorado’s Joint Budget Committee (JBC) is weighing big decisions that will likely affect all areas of the state budget. This could include its obligations to PERA.

As you know, in 2018, the Colorado General Assembly passed significant reforms, SB18-200, to put PERA on the path for full funding for each of the divisions within 30 years. To do so, there were major concessions and changes for employers, employees and retirees. Employers and employees across each PERA division saw their contributions increase and their benefits – from their retirement dates to the way in which their benefits are calculated – change. The state was also directed to make a $225 million direct contribution to PERA to catch up from the state’s past under funding of the system. Further, it implemented the “auto-adjust” provision that increases or decreases contribution rates to keep the system on track to meet the 30-year fully funded timeline.

Now, the JBC staff (who work with the JBC and help them put together the state budget every year) has recommended several actions that would impact PERA:

  1. Suspend the FY20-21 payment of $225 million.
  2. Move the payment date for the $225 million from first day of each fiscal year (July 1) to the last day (June 30). Combined with the first action, this would mean PERA would not receive this payment until June 30, 2022.
  3. Delay the 2020 Auto Adjust for one year. The auto adjust feature is set to kick in July 2020 with a .5% increase for both employers and employees.
  4. Shift at least 2.5% and up to 5% of the state’s employer PERA costs onto state employees and delay the state employee PERA increases. This would result in a reduction in salary for employees of between 1.25% to 3.75%.

There are many concerns about the actions the JBC could take.

  • Should the state not make these contributions, the ability of PERA to meet the 30 year fully funded timeline will be significantly harder. While we are waiting for the 2019 CAFR report from PERA and anticipate a rate of return significantly higher than the assumed 7.25%, we know that at the end of 2018, the state division was on track to be fully funded in 28 years. This could change that.
  • Further, all retirees, employees and employers across all divisions could bear the brunt of this action. This is because of the auto adjust feature that automatically makes changes to contribution rates and retiree COLAs to keep the system on track to hit the 30 year timeline.
  • Finally, if you remember, one of the reasons we were told we needed the reforms from SB18-200 was because the unfunded liability hurt the state’s credit rating. In 2017, S&P downgraded the state’s credit rating due to several factors, which included the state not paying its share of their pension obligations. Increasing the unfunded liability by not paying the state’s obligations again could send the state’s credit rating down.

What’s Next?

As of May 8, the JBC has delayed taking action on any of the recommendations and is seeking more information. But decisions will soon be needed as the legislature is set to convene to on May 18.

There are several options on the table for the JBC to consider that would impact state employee’s compensation, including the recommendations for cost-shifting and delaying the auto-adjust. Colorado WINS, the state employee’s union and Secure PERA partner, is working closely with the JBC on those options and advocating for what’s best for employees. The Association of Colorado State Patrol Professionals, also a Secure PERA partner, is advocating for the State Troopers in these budget decisions.

Secure PERA also sent a letter to the JBC about the $225 million contribution and date shift. You can read that letter here.

What can you do?

  1. Attend your legislators’ townhall, virtually. Many are having online townhalls that you can join and raise this issue. You can use the points from this email/post to discuss why the state needs to maintain its commitment. Visit your legislator’s website, their Facebook or Twitter pages to get details on their next townhall. Find your legislator here.
  2. Share about what your pension means to you on your social media. Be sure to use the hashtag #coleg in your posts.
  3. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about the positive impact your pension has in your community, especially if you are a retiree in a rural community. Check out this great graphic from PERA detailing the power of our pensions around the state.

Secure PERA endorses David Hall for PERA Board of Trustees

Election season is underway for PERA Board of Trustees. PERA members in the State Division will soon get the chance to vote for a member to represent them on the PERA Board. Members have until May 31, 2020 to cast their vote.

Secure PERA is supporting David Hall, who has served on the PERA Board since 2016. He is a trooper with the Colorado State Patrol and has been vested in PERA for 14 years.

In his role on the PERA Board, David has demonstrated strong leadership and commitment to ensuring the stability and longevity of the defined benefit system. He also has been an effective representative of state employees. We are proud to support David Hall as he seeks reelection to this important role.

Learn more about David Hall here.

What does the PERA Board of Trustees do? Read more about it here.

Corporate Tax Giveaways Harm State Revenues

According to a recently released report by Good Jobs First, “for Colorado, reducing corporate subsidies can go a long way to salvage the revenue needed to meet its yearly public pension obligations and reduce the burden on both employees and employers.”

The report, Putting State Pension Costs in Context, looked at 12 states where public employee pensions are being debated and found that those states continue to give high tax breaks and other subsidies to corporations. Such subsidies often exceed the amount a state owes to maintain its pension obligations.

In Colorado report, Good Jobs First found corporate giveaways were double the cost of pension obligations:

  • 2018 Colorado Public Employee Pension Obligations $378,203,901
  • 2018 Cost of Colorado Subsidies and Corporate Tax Breaks $757,983,403

The report includes the full list of these corporate giveaways. As the state is balancing its budget and plugging the hole caused by the COVID-19 crisis, its time for lawmakers to seriously look at this list.