Rochester City Manager Jaymes Vettraino and Mayor Pro Tem Jeffrey Cuthbertson testify June 7. View more photos here.

LANSING, Michigan – Last Thursday (June 7, 2012), some local leaders from Northville, East Grand Rapids and Rochester testified with the League supporting two bills which deal with providing locals pension flexibility.

The bills, SBs 1129 and 1171, were up before the Senate Retirement Subcommittee of Appropriations. SB 1129 would allow bonding when communities switch from defined benefit to defined contribution, so communities could help smooth transition costs. That bill passed committee.

SB 1171 would amend the MERS statute to prohibit certain barriers that face communities which want to negotiate pension changes or more easily shop different provider by allowing a community to exit the plan with a majority vote of the governing body (rather than a vote of the people). That bill was up for testimony only.

We have many supporters in the legislature on this issue and are hopeful we can get additional movement on these when the legislature comes back after the summer recess. Identical House bills were also introduced  – they are HBs 5725 and 5726.

Summer Minnick is Director of State Affairs for the League. She can be reached at 517-908-0301 or [email protected].

View additional photos from the hearing here on the League’s flickr page.