The lawsuit, filed by the firefighers retirement systems' board of trustees, alleges that Slay's plan amounts to a "scheme" that will illegally reduce pension benefits, according to the newspaper. The trustees are seeking a temporary restraining order to block implementation of the proposal and a final judgment on its legality.
Slay's proposal would essentially end the current pension system for firefighters and introduce a revised system that would be less expensive for the city, according to the Post-Dispatch. The plan passed through a city committee Tuesday and nows heads to the full board of alderman for debate and a vote.
A spokesperson for Slay told the Post-Dispatch that the lawsuit was a waste of taxpayer money.
St. Louis officials have estimated that firefighter pensions will cost the city $29 million in the next fiscal year, according to the newspaper: a 350 percent increase over the last 10 years.