Legal Trend: Local Pension Cannot Be Overhauled by City

The pension: Houston Firefighters’ Relief and Retirement Fund

The city: Houston

The Court: 14th Court of Appeals

The Opinion: 

• Agreed with the lower court that the City cannot change how the fund is operated.  
  • The fund’s operation are in state law.
• Agreed with the pension fund that Houston fire fighters face unique challenges, unlike other large Texas cities.

Next legal stop? TX Supreme Court

From the Houston Firefighter’s Relief & Retirement Fund:

• Its grown from $468 million in 1988 to $4.63 billion
• Houston pays only about 20% of benefit costs
• 80% of benefits are covered by the fund’s investments and firefighters’ own contributions

Courthouse News Service | Houston Loses Appeal in Firefighter Pension Fight