Miami mayor vetoes pensions for elected officials; commission may override
MIAMI - The mayor of the City of Miami hopes a veto blocking pension payouts for elected officials survives a commission vote Thursday.
"I've never felt that is right," Francis Suarez told CBS News Miami on Wednesday evening. "It would have been over $4 million in benefits to my family and I just felt that the hard-working class taxpayers of the City of Miami should not have to bear the brunt of that benefit."
Last week, commissioners voted 3-2 in favor of an amendment restoring pensions for elected officials. A past commission repealed the payments.
"I'm gonna vote no," Manolo Reyes, commissioner in District 4, said during last week's meeting.
"There's other waste here now with certain people having double-dipped and I'm not going to say numbers but we're not worried about that," Miguel Gabela, commissioner in District 5, said during the same meeting.
"I understand the reasoning (supporting pensions) and all," Damian Pardo, commissioner in District 2, said during last week's meeting. "In fact, if it passes, I will take the pension."
With each commissioner's annual salary costing more than $100,000, Suarez sees no reason to change his stance against pensions.
The commission will vote to sustain the mayor's veto or overturn it during Thursday's meeting.