Wayne County Ends Practice Of 13th Check For Retirees
DETROIT (AP) - Wayne County is ending its practice of giving an extra annual check to retirees in lieu of cost-of-living increases.
Commissioners voted 8-5 Thursday on the proposal by county Executive Warren Evans to eliminate the fund that provides the 13th check. It aims to reduce the county's underfunded pension liability.
The fund allows a retirement board to grant the extra check when the system is overfunded.
AFSCME Council 25 attorney Keith Flynn said the "check isn't a discretionary bonus that will not be missed," but "a benefit that was bargained in the 1980s ... and retirees depend upon it."
Evans on Wednesday asked the state to declare a financial emergency in Wayne County that could lead to help in fixing its finances which include a $52 million structural deficit.
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