S ory on
3
BULK R TE
u.s, POSTAGE PAID
B n on Harbor, I 49022
P mit 0.50
O. 18 APRIL -12, 1983
to 3
25 e nts
E TY THEAT
EFIT
t effort th
d pril 17
. ipate
Ti et
,
By Terry Kelly
city fathers grapple ith methods
of cutting e penses and generating reve­
nues for cash- trapped Benton Harbor
one topic that h s received attention i
the pension fund contribution m de by
the ci y on behalf of it employee.
C.A. "Toby" Tobia , 0 ner of Tobia
oil company in the city, and a member of
the city' Fiscal Advisory Committee
(F AC) has urged consideration of cutting
the city share of pension fund contribu­
tions.
"Do we have a pension program e
can't afford,' Tobias question d t· the
two most recent F AC meetings.
Finance Director Ricardo John n
told F C members th t the city contri­
butes an amount equal to 22 percent of
the w e paid to the police and firemen
and 17� percent of the general employ­
ee
THe employee them lve pitch in 3.5
percent of their wa e John n id.
For the first nine months of the cur­
rent fiscal ye r pension contributi n
ha e co t the city' general fund
414569 John n reported.
He added that e total 70 per ent
of the city's 3 million bud et. e're
I bor intensive ' John n ob rved to
members of the FAC. " e h ve 2.5
million payroll with 108 employee.
By compari n the city of St. Jo ph
pay 10 percent of its general employee'
e to the pension fund - fi ure 7.5
percent Ie than the Benton Harbor r teo
St. Jo ph city employees contnbut
3 percent of their a e up to 4 00
the city per nnel dep rtment re rt
and 5 percent on anything 0 er th t.
For it fire and police offi er th St.
Joseph city contnbution to retirement is
22 percent, the rate s Benton Har­
bor .
B nton Twp.
CUJ1'eot 25 percent co tribuf n to
poli and Ii pe
hi en
percent Scott
Benton H rbor city
orval e member
id the pen ion fund contributi n que -
tion bite elephant from 10
10 before ur time.
The
n tu .
under y to determine th
rent d t to t fu