Attorney general moves to dismiss city pension lawsuit

The Missouri attorney general's office has filed for dismissal from a city lawsuit that lists more than 400 retired Springfield police officers and firefighters.

A closed-door meeting was held yesterday among the retirees and their attorney Dan Tobben, who is representing about 260 of them against the city, according to a report from Springfield Business Journal's media partner KSPR.

The city is re-evaluating its 1983 commitment to pay a 3 percent cost-of-living hike to the retired city workers, according to the report.

The cost-of-living increase has the city worried that the raises could be in violation of state statutes and the Missouri Constitution, according to the the report.

A January letter from the attorney general's office said it would be unconstitutional for the city to pay the 3 percent cost of living adjustment if doing so makes the fund actuarially unsound, a term not specifically defined by state statute, the report said.

The attorney general's office filed to dismiss the motion July 22, saying it has no justifiable controversy, the report said.

Retirees received their July COLA check, and it is unclear at this time what will happen with the lawsuit, KSPR says.[[In-content Ad]]