THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 6, 1996 TAG: 9604060282
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
The retired police officers and firefighters association of Portsmouth is backing James W. Holley III in the city's mayoral race.
Holley won the endorsement by a ``substantial margin'' of votes.
Every member of the retirees' association votes by ballot on the candidate endorsements.
The association also voted to endorse three City Council candidates: incumbents Cameron C. Pitts and Bernard D. Griffin and challenger J. Thomas Benn in the at-large election for three seats.
Holley, 69, is a former mayor who was ousted from office in a hate-mail scandal nine years ago.
Richard Journee, president of the retirees' association, said changes in the police officers' and firefighters' pension was likely one reason the group did not endorse incumbent Mayor Gloria O. Webb.
``Most of the improvements to the pension plan have been for the active-duty officers, the retirees have been left out,'' Journee said. ``It was very, very good for those involved, including (former City Manager) Mr. (V. Wayne) Orton. Then he closed the system down.''
Since the new, more lucrative pension plan was adopted in 1994, 85 police officers and firefighters have retired - many of them younger than city officials expected.
The unexpected surge will force the city to contribute another $1.4 million this year to the pension fund and it may jeopardize annual cost-of-living raises for some retirees.
Journee said discussions among the retirees showed a lot of ``animosity and bitterness'' over the new and future retirees who will be draining the system established by earlier generations of police officers and firefighters who weren't given the added benefits.
``These guys were looking for a golden goose,'' Journee said. ``If the incumbents say they didn't know that this was going to happen, that's not an excuse. It's their job to know. They are paid to know. With a system like that, they should have known who was going - I would have gone.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
James W. Holley III
won the endorsement by a ``substantial margin'' of votes.
KEYWORDS: ENDORSEMENT
by CNB