County Clerk Pam Childers has sent a letter to the Board of County Commissioner notifying that she doesn’t accept the assertions made by the Levin Papantonio Rafferty law firm regarding the legality of the county’s 401(a) ICMA retirement plan.
The clerk told the board she would discontinue making contributions to the plan on behalf of Commissioners Steve Barry, Robert Bender and Lumon May, effective Jan. 2, 2022.
The letter came directly from Childers, not her attorney, Matt Dannheisser, who has been negotiating with Troy Rafferty.
She has offered yet another interpretation of the Florida law. The amount the County contributes to the commissioners’ retirement is the same whether it’s made to the Florida Retirement System or ICMA plan.
Childers argues the county’s contribution isn’t the issue. She believes it’s the commissioners’ retirement benefits.
She has refused to join the commissioners in asking for an opinion from the Florida Attorney General.
It would appear the clerk and commissioners are headed to court to resolve this matter.
Read Letter to Chairman Bergosh 12.03.21