The San Diego Police Officers Association and the city are filing paperwork in court today in a fight over whether the city can change the Deferred Retirement Option Program. KPBS reporter Katie Orr explains DROP allows city employees the begin receiving retirement payments before they stop working.
The Police Union is requesting an injunction to prevent the city from making any changes to DROP without a vote of the city employees. But City Attorney Jan Goldsmith says the 1997 ordinance that created the benefit was not valid because it wasn’t voted on by a majority of affected city workers. Union President Brain Marvel says Goldsmith’s opinion is flawed and not backed up by case law.
“You know the city has made promises and all we’re asking is that the city keep their promises,” he says. “To sit here and say, 13 years later, that a promise that was made back then is now null and void?”
City officials have long looked for a way to overturn the costly benefit. The head of the San Diego City Employees Retirement System says Goldsmith’s opinion goes against standard election procedures.
