THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 27, 1994 TAG: 9407270416
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Weeks after former Deputy City Manager Roy W. Cherry retired, drawing nearly $60,000 a year from the police and fire retirement fund, the City Council voted Tuesday night to exclude future city administrators from the pension plan.
Councilman James T. Martin asked for the change in the city code after police and firefighters called for it.
``It was my understanding that the deputy city manager didn't have any further administrative role with the fire and police departments,'' Martin said. ``That was the basis for having it in there for Cherry.''
Council members voted 7-0 to reserve the fund for police and firefighters. They decided to exclude even city managers after current manager V. Wayne Orton, who is included in the pension plan, retires.
A new staff organization at City Hall includes a deputy city manager, an assistant city manager and a chief financial officer.
Police and firefighters feared that all three executives would ask to participate in the police and fire pension plan, even though the code allowed only the deputy city manager to participate. Police and firefighters said that if several executives retired under the police and fire pension plan, it could deplete their funds.
After a meeting, union members began calling council members, urging them to prevent the assistant city manager from becoming eligible and to change the city code to make the new deputy city manger ineligible.
``It's not like we're taking away anything from anybody,'' said Lloyd Beazley, president of Portsmouth Professional Firefighters Local 539. ``At this time, it won't hurt anybody.''
Ronald L. Davis, past president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said police and firefighters were concerned that too many people were allowed in under the fund. The council voted to make the pension plan more lucrative this year because Portsmouth police and firefighters are among the lowest-paid in the region. The retirement plan is an incentive to retain the officers.
Earlier this summer, police and firefighters fought adding Sheriff Gary Waters to the pension plan. The council, however, decided to allow the sheriff to join.
``I don't think anybody should be in on our pension system unless they're police or fire,'' Davis said. ``There are people in it who don't even work for us. They're taking advantage of the system, and it's not fair. There's a big, big difference in my pension and the city manager's - about $35,000 to $40,000.''
Mayor Gloria O. Webb said, ``The sooner we can get rid of everyone in the police and firefighters' pension except them, our job will be a whole lot more pleasant.''
Webb said Cherry was allowed to participate because the council made a special exception for him.
``It was one of the purposes of being the deputy,'' Webb said. ``It was like a fringe.''
Councilman Johnny M. Clemons said police and firefighters had also called him asking that any new executives be prevented from joining the pension plan. He also said he opposed including Orton in the plan.
Beazley said that the union would not protest having the city manager in the pension plan.
``To try to get him taken out it doesn't do us any good,'' Beazley said. ``There's four managers under it now. To start picking on Orton to get him out, it's not right.'' by CNB