Colorado taxpayers, along with PERA members and retirees, need to have accurate information about PERA’s current funded status and a path forward. That’s the message from PERA Board of Trustees Chairman Timothy M. O’Brien in his guest commentary published in The Denver Post on Sunday, January 7. O’Brien outlined five things to keep in mind as the General Assembly begins its 2018 session and considers the Board’s legislative recommendation.

While the messenger may have changed, the Board’s fiduciary responsibility to PERA members has not. After months of stakeholder outreach, more than 80 percent of those who attended a PERAtour meeting agreed that the time to act is now. Shared responsibility is a sound principle on which the Board’s recommendation is based, but there are no easy fixes and real lives will be impacted by any decisions made. Finally, these recommendations were not made lightly. It is time to ensure the security of the retirements earned by Colorado’s current and former public employees.

Read the commentary here.