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St. Louis Firefighters Sue to Stop Pension Overhaul

The St. Louis firefighters retirement group followed through Tuesday on their standing threat to sue the city to block Mayor Francis Slay's pension reform plan, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The St. Louis firefighters retirement group followed through Tuesday on their standing threat to sue the city to block Mayor Francis Slay's pension reform plan, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

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.

Dylan Scott is a GOVERNING staff writer.
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