St. Augustine residents, no matter their political party, will have an extra item on their March 19 primary ballots asking whether the city should streamline the decision-making process on police pensions. 

That’s because, in St. Augustine, pensions for city staff and firefighters are a part of the city’s municipal code, meaning they can be changed simply by a vote of the City Commission. But pension plans for the St. Augustine Police Department are a part of the city’s charter. That means voters must approve changes. 

To streamline the process, the City Commission approved a measure in October to move the police pensions to the municipal code, and voters have to approve the change March 19 for it to be final. 

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A memo prepared by City Attorney Isabelle Lopez said the change would make things easier for everyone involved.

“For example, in the recent past we had to place on an election ballot the minor change to the Police Pension Board members,” she said. “This is an impractical and costly method of making changes.” 

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The measure is supported by the Coastal Florida Police Benevolent Association, the intermediary agency that conducts bargaining for the Police Department. 

The association’s general counsel, Greg Forhan, says the change would make things far less complicated for the city to make changes — big or small — to police pensions.

“It’s really, as a practical matter, a convenience measure,” Forhan said, “and we’re in favor of it because it makes things easier for the city to make changes to the pension when it’s needed.”

Click here for a look at a sample ballot including the referendum.

Lead image: St. Augustine police cars. | St. Augustine Police, Facebook