Tag Archives: Bartel and Associates

And now for the bottom line

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Robert Sullwold

So it’s time to get to the bottom line. In the Merry-Go-Round’s examination of the proposed new public safety union contracts Council is being asked to approve on April 29, we’ve looked separately at the economic terms of the MOUs … Continue reading →

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The proposed OPEB trust

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Robert Sullwold

In our last column, we phrased the issue facing Council as it decides whether to approve new public safety union contracts this way:  Is the “partial solution” proposed by outgoing City Manager John Russo to the “Other Post-Employment Benefits” problem … Continue reading →

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The proposed public safety union contracts

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Robert Sullwold

We’re sure that, if anyone heeded the exhortation by Vice Mayor Frank Matarrese to begin studying the proposed new public safety union contracts as soon as they were posted Tuesday afternoon, it was readers of the Merry-Go-Round.  After all, who … Continue reading →

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What a way to go!

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Robert Sullwold

This week, a majority of Council decided to make it possible for departing City Manager John Russo to bolster his reputation – and to burnish his resume – before he leaves for his new job in Riverside.  In so doing, … Continue reading →

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$200 million — and counting

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Robert Sullwold

Buried in the footnotes to the recently released annual financial report is the news that the City of Alameda passed another financial milestone last year: the City’s “unfunded liabilities” for retiree benefits now exceed $200 million.

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Ignoring the law

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Robert Sullwold

At last week’s Council meeting, when the topic of reducing the City’s liability for Other Post-Employment Benefits (“OPEB”) by capping retiree health benefits came up, the following dialog occurred: Mayor Marie Gilmore: Can I just be very clear here? There … Continue reading →

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How to solve the OPEB problem (Part II)

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Robert Sullwold

In yesterday’s post, we suggested that, if City Council truly is interested in solving Alameda’s “OPEB problem,” it ought to break the issue of “unfunded liabilities” into its two components.  Yesterday, we discussed “liabilities” – i.e., what the City owes … Continue reading →

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How to solve the OPEB problem (Part I)

Posted on July 21, 2013 by Robert Sullwold

If City Council truly is interested in solving Alameda’s “OPEB problem,” the first thing it needs to do is to define exactly what problem it wants to solve. The actuaries tell us that, as of January 1, 2011, the City … Continue reading →

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