June, 2011

…BUDGET SHENANIGANS

The California Legislature finally passed an on-time budget on June 15. Unfortunately for legislators and their wallets, the budget was vetoed the next day by Governor Jerry Brown. Democrats pushed the plan on a majority vote (now

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board is poised to approve new regulations that will have a major impact on the way states calculate their pension liabilities. The changes are meant to make it easier to compare the health of pension funds

When the City of Odessa wanted to reduce operating costs without impacting services, they turned to PARS and their FICA alternative for part-time, seasonal, and temporary (PST) employees.  PARS Alternate Retirement System (ARS) reduces payroll costs by replacing Social Security

Contra Costa County has taken steps to address its $1 billion OPEB liability.

Understanding the need for addressing a $2.6 billion OPEB liability, Contra Costa County worked together with labor through collective bargaining to reduce the liability to just