There are proposals on the table that could roll back the pension benefits of Bakersfield city employees. Councilmembers Zack Scrivner and David Couch would like to scale back retirement benefits for newly hired city employees.
Scrivner says retirement benefits cost city taxpayers $25 million a year, which he says is too much.
"What I'm proposing is that for new hired employees, we go back to the pension level that we've had in 2000-2001," said Scrivner.
New general employee hires currently get 2.7 percent of their salary, with retirement at age 55. Scrivner's proposal would make it two percent with retirement at age 55.
Safety employees, such as police and fire currently get three percent at 50. Scrivner wants to cut that to two percent at age 50.
The local Service Employees International Union has an existing contract with the city and it doesn't want a change.
"We've basically been advised by counsel that it would be unwise for us to open our contract," said local SEIU president Billy Owens.
City Council will discuss the issue at its February 17 meeting and will have to decide whether this proposition should go to ballot. They need four votes to move forward.
