Public trust in local government depends on access to information, especially when that information concerns public pension plans. These plans affect taxpayers, employees, retirees, and long-term municipal obligations, yet the documents underlying them are often…
In the town of Troy-Who-Ville, where stories run deep,City Hall spun a tale they hoped neighbors would keep.So I wrote my own version, with rhyme, truth, and art,A 16-page adventure that comes straight from the…
Attention, citizens of Troy: The City relied on a very important IRS letter, one that apparently does not exist, to justify taking away firefighter pensions. So far, this elusive document has managed to avoid: 2…
Three years ago, almost to the day, I went on the radio for the first time in my life. I wasn’t a politician.I wasn’t media-trained.I wasn’t trying to score points. I was just a firefighter…
For more than two years, Troy officials have repeated the same story to residents, reporters, and firefighters. The IRS made us do it.The plan was illegal.There were no other options.Firefighters were made whole. Every part…
In my previous article, I laid out why Troy City Council's repeated claim, that "the IRS made us" eliminate the Volunteer Firefighter Incentive Program, is not supported by the record. The IRS did not ban…
For over 85 years, Troy relied on volunteer firefighters to protect our families, our businesses, and our neighborhoods. Then City Hall took a sledgehammer to the very tool that kept the volunteer system alive, the…
For years, the City of Troy has justified eliminating the former firefighter incentive plan by pointing to an IRS determination letter that allegedly required the plan to go away. It's a powerful claim: Federal mandate.…
SPOILER ALERT As of 2021, Troy’s pension fund was approximately 56% funded, leaving the city with an estimated $11.6 million unfunded liability, a liability the city likely knew it could not fully fund under the…
When the city removed the firefighter pension incentive, 34 firefighters left the department and only 100 of them remained to protect our 87,000 residents. In any other American city this size, losing 25% of a…
Troy used to have a plan, a good one. A firefighter incentive that rewarded years of service, honored the sacrifices made on every call, and recognized the reality of what it means to be a…