Columbus City Council last night approved cutting the city's pension contributions for non-unionized management level employees. Jim Letizia reports.
Executive, administrative, professional, and supervisory employees covered by the city's Management Compensation Plan will see the city's pension pickup drop from seven to six percent. Employees hired after January of 2010 will see the city's pension pickup disappear. Those workers will also have to pay more for health insurance. Employee contributions will increase from 11 to 11-and-a-half percent. Columbus Human Resources Director Chet Chirstie says the moves implement recommendations made a few years ago by an economic advisory committee appointed by the city. Council also approved a 10-year, 75 percent property tax break worth 167-thousand dollars for a wealthy local developer. Interim Columbus Development Director Nicole Brandon says an affiliate of Arshot Investment, owned by Bill Schottenstein, will renovate the vacant Cord Camera Building on South High Street. Town Square Limited purchased the vacant building last year. Council also approved a 728 million dollar capital improvements budget, adding 4.6 million in projects to the original proposal. 379 million dollars of the budget is for new projects for the year. Council added money to grow the fiber-optic network, add wheelchair curb ramps, and boost small business.