Tag Archives: CalPERS

The $253.2 million gorilla

Posted on June 16, 2019 by Robert Sullwold

Whom can Alamedans count on now to do battle with the gorilla in the basement of City Hall? That’s what those of us who fear the predations of the gorilla – more formally known as the City’s accrued liability for … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Pensions | Tagged CalPERS, Elena Adair, Eric Levitt, Jeff DelBono, Jill Keimach, Jim Oddie, John Knox White, Liz Warmerdam, Malia Vella, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, OPEB, Pension/OPEB trust, Tony Daysog | 9 Comments

Memo to the City Manager (Part I)

Posted on April 28, 2019 by Robert Sullwold

Years ago, there was a sports writer named Jimmy Cannon who penned a syndicated column called, “Nobody asked me, but . . .” Today, the Merry-Go-Round begins a series of posts about the major challenges we think new City Manager … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Firefighters | Tagged CalPERS, Community paramedicine program, Elena Adair, Fire marshal, Fire Prevention Bureau, Jennifer Ott, Jim Oddie, John Russo, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Minimum wage, Pensions, Property transfer tax, SAFER, Sales tax, Tony Daysog, Trish Spencer, User fees, Utility user's tax | 4 Comments

Not enough to go around

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Robert Sullwold

So do you want the good news or the bad news first? That’s what we thought. The good news is that, thanks primarily to the sale of three apartment buildings, the General Fund will receive about $4.7 million more in … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Firefighters, Pensions | Tagged Budget, CalPERS, Dennis Popalardo, Frank Matarrese, General Fund, Jeff DelBono, Jim Oddie, John Russo, Kevin Kennedy, Liz Warmerdam, Malia Vella, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Nancy Bronstein, Susan Mayer, Trish Spencer | 15 Comments

The latest financial update

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Robert Sullwold

Those Alamedans who weren’t able to stay up after 2 a.m. to catch the end of the live feed, or who later quit watching the video after seven hours, missed what may have been the most significant – and troubling … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Pensions | Tagged CalPERS, Doug Long, Elena Adair, Frank Matarrese, General Fund, IAFF Local 689, Jim Oddie, Malia Vella, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, NHA Advisors, Trish Spencer, Unfunded liability | 2 Comments

Spend away!

Posted on June 4, 2017 by Robert Sullwold

Three weeks ago, the Merry-Go-Round reported on City Finance Director Elena Adair’s forecast that, if all of the additional spending proposed for the next two fiscal years were to take place, the “available balance” in the General Fund would drop … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Firefighters, Pensions | Tagged CalPERS, Carolyn Hogg, Elena Adair, Jill Keimach, Jim Oddie, Kevin Kearney, Kevin Kennedy, Liam Garland, Malia Vella, OPEB, Trish Spencer | 3 Comments

There goes the “surplus”!

Posted on May 14, 2017 by Robert Sullwold

Wanna see how to make $32 million disappear in just five years? Then you ought to show up Wednesday at Council Chambers for the budget workshop, and City Finance Director Elena Adair will show you how it’s done. Or maybe … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Firefighters, Pensions | Tagged CalPERS, Disaster preparedness division, Doug Long, Elena Adair, Fire Prevention Bureau, Fred Marsh, General Fund, Jim Oddie, Malia Vella, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Paul Rolleri | 2 Comments

Putting our money where their mouths are

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Robert Sullwold

Back in June, gloating over a projected $30.8 million balance in the General Fund as of the end of this fiscal year, Council instructed staff to come up with a list of recommendations about how to “allocate” – i.e., spend … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Pensions | Tagged Amy Wooldridge, Bob Haun, CalPERS, Elena Adair, EOC, Estuary Park, Fire station, Frank Matarrese, John Russo, Kevin Kearney, Kevin Kennedy, Liz Warmerdam, OPEB, Trish Spencer, Unfunded liability | 3 Comments

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 →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Firefighters, Pensions | Tagged 2013-17 IAFF MOU, 2015-21 IAFF MOU, Bartel and Associates, CalPERS, Frank Matarrese, IAFF Local 689, John Russo, Kevin Kennedy, OPEB, Other postemployment benefits, Retiree health insurance | 5 Comments

You can’t say that again

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Robert Sullwold

The Merry-Go-Round was chagrined that the moderators at the two recent candidate forums didn’t choose to use either of our two lists of “Questions the candidates won’t want to answer.” But we’re not surprised. And we think it even less … Continue reading →

Posted in Alameda Point, Budget, City Hall, Development, Firefighters, Housing | Tagged Andrew Thomas, CalPERS, Crab Cove, Frank Matarrese, Fred Marsh, Groucho Marx, Housing Element, IAFF Local 689, Jim Oddie, Kate Quick, Marie Gilmore, Master Infrastructure Plan, Planning Board, Ron Cowan, Stewart Chen, Tim Lewis Communities, Trish Spencer | 2 Comments

The record according to Gilmore

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Robert Sullwold

Protector of the Golf Complex. Fund-raiser for Alameda public parks. Advocate for open space. Who fits all of these descriptions? If you said, Bill Delaney, chair of the recreation and parks commission and president of the Alameda Friends of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Alameda Point, Budget, City Hall, Firefighters, Golf, Housing, Pensions | Tagged CalPERS, Crab Cove, Doug deHaan, East Bay Regional Park District, Emergency operations center, Fred Marsh, Housing Element, IAFF Local 689, Joe VanWinkle, John Russo, Lena Tam, Marie Gilmore, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Neptune Point, RHNA, Ron Cowan, Stewart Chen, Tony Daysog | 2 Comments

	Publius on Council’s slush fund
	Karen on Council’s slush fund
	Publius on Council’s slush fund
	Publius on Council’s slush fund
	Eric Strimling on Council’s slush fund