Don't Mess with Public Safety Pensions
Our State Officials Must Protect Residents from Tax Hikes and Protect the Pension Benefits of Our Heroic First Responders
Public Safety Pension Reforms
are Under Attack
Proposals in the Illinois State Legislature to dismantle hard-fought pension reforms could mean higher property taxes on residents. These reforms were fairly negotiated with all parties more than a decade ago to prevent a financial crisis caused by unsustainable costs. Even with these reforms, many communities are struggling to keep up with pension costs. Rolling back these protections would bring us back to that financial crisis and put the pension benefits of our police officers and firefighters at risk.
Why This Matters
- Taxpayers Fund Pensions – The retirement benefits of the police officers and firefighters that protect your community are funded by your local tax dollars, not the State. Changes to pension benefits could impact your property taxes.
- Our Current Pension System Is More than Fair – Our municipal police and fire pensions were reformed to ensure a more stable and affordable pension system for taxpayers while maintaining generous retirement benefits for first responders.
- Undoing Reforms is Reckless to our Taxpayers – Without these reforms, our communities would face devastating increases in pension expenses, putting us back on a path toward a financial crisis. Local leaders will face difficult decisions in order to fund public safety pensions, such as raising property taxes and/or cutting municipal staff or services.
- Long-Term Financial Instability – Dismantling these protections would unravel more than a decade of progress. Without financial stability, the security of the pension system, and therefore the pension benefits of first responders, would be at risk.
Taxpayers cannot afford to go backwards. Protect first responder pensions and taxpayers by maintaining the pension system.
Take Action!
Let your legislators know that taxpayers cannot afford a roll back of more than a decade of progress on public safety pensions. Urge Illinois lawmakers to protect our pension stability.
Tell Your Legislators: Hands Off Public Safety Pensions!
Join the fight to keep your community’s pension system fair and affordable.
The following councils of government are participating in the coalition aiming to ensure the viability of public safety pensions:
Contact Your Legislators
If you share our concern about higher local taxes in your community, reaching out to your State legislators can be a powerful way to make your voice heard. You can then reach out to them via email, phone, or social media to express your concerns and make your case to not include municipal employees in any state pension legislation. Remember, the more engaged citizens are in the political process, the more responsive and effective government can be.