RPLG Founding Partner Jon Holtzman and RPPG Managing Director of Government Affairs Dane Hutchings will present at the League of California Cities’ Municipal Finance Institute on Friday, Dec. 11, sharing insights about the potential impact of COVID-19 and recent court rulings on pension benefits.
“Even before the COVID-19 crisis, cities were being hollowed out by pension and OPEB costs,” said Jon. “Are these problems unsolvable? Will the courts alter the ‘California Rule’? Despite the accepted wisdom that recent California Supreme Court cases have been unhelpful, they may yet offer hope.”
Jon and Dane will serve as panelists on the session “Pensions, the Coronavirus, and the CA Supreme Court.” The session, moderated by the City of Sacramento’s Director of Finance Dawn Holm, will run from 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11.
The panel will discuss pension benefits in the context of the current financial challenges that cities face due to COVID-19. Looking at the California Supreme Court’s Cal Fire decision last year and Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association decision this year, Jon and Dane will examine the implications of these rulings for future pension reform.
MFI is an annual conference that seeks to further the professional education of finance officers, city treasurers, city managers and all city staff that conduct work relevant to finance. The 2020 conference, which takes place remotely on Dec. 7, 9 and 11, offers attendees nine different sessions covering a variety of topics in municipal finance. Jon represented RPLG at MFI in 2018 and in 2019.
RPLG practices throughout California, advising and advocating for public agencies, nonprofit entities, individuals and private entities in need of effective, responsive and creative legal solutions.
