LI group urges state comptroller to curb pension costs

The Long Island Regional Planning Council, making good on one of the recommendations in its education "plan of action," voted Tuesday to send a letter to the state comptroller urging a "comprehensive assessment" of the state retirement system to find ways to curb pension costs for local school districts and governments.

"While we recognize your continuing efforts to provide the best oversight and management of the retirement system, its costs remain a significant cost driver for school districts and local government expenses," states the letter from council chairman John D. Cameron Jr. It adds schools and local governments "struggle . . . to cover these mandated expenses."

A spokesman for Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Dennis Tompkins, said the comptroller has only limited responsibility for the retirement system for school employees. He said a separate board controls the teacher retirement system. "We do have one appointee on the board, but we don't have any role in the day-to-day decision-making."

Tompkins added the comptroller "wants to be helpful and he is working to find ways to cut costs for taxpayers. It has to be a joint effort between the legislature, governor, comptroller and local governments to try to come up with solutions to control these costs."

Pension cost reductions are one of a dozen recommendations the council's Education Working Group released last month, as the panel grappled with solutions to the Island's heavy school tax burden. The panel also advocated ways to enhance "educational opportunity" for all students.

The council formed a 20-member Education Working Group, comprising three council members, school superintendents, the teachers union, school boards associations and BOCES, who over eight months hashed out the recommendations. Early on, those talks were "contentious and seemed totally unworkable," Dianne Hettrich, a local New York State United Teachers representative, told the council Tuesday. She said of the final product, "I believe in what the education group did."

Cameron said he was optimistic, citing agreement among a diverse group with competing interests. "For us to come with a dozen recommendations and have unanimity . . . it was very, very significant."

The 12-point plan includes proposals to promote collaboration among school districts, enhance BOCES' role in delivering programs and services across districts, remove unfunded state mandates and create financial incentives for districts to consolidate.

Paul Tonna, the council's vice chairman who was not on the panel, raised a number of questions - joking that he was trying to "stir things up." He wondered whether the "recommendations put a dent on cost and improving the quality of education."

Richard Guardino, a council and education group member, said that some of the proposals "could stop the rate of increase."