The top local stories this morning from KERA News:
The Dallas City Council this morning will discuss a plan to save its troubled Police and Fire Pension Fund from going broke, which could happen in 12 years if no changes are made.
The pension fund board has asked the city for a billion-dollar bailout, but when he went before the Texas Pension Review Board last month, Mayor Mike Rawlings told the state oversight panel a bailout would force Dallas to raise property taxes.
Rawlings sued the pension board this week as a private citizen to try to stop the pension fund from allowing retirees to pull out their deferred retirement money.
The lawsuit may have had the opposite effect. Executive Director Kelly Gottschalk told the Dallas Morning News the pension fund received more than 160 withdrawal requests the day Rawlings filed his suit.
Other stories this morning:
- The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and its musicians will meet today to vote on a tentative contract agreement. Union members went on strike in early September after year-long negotiations fell apart. The symphony’s trying to close a $700,000 deficit.
- National studies indicate as many as 80 percent foster children have at least one chronic medical condition. A new Dallas clinic is focused on addressing those issues.
- Despite efforts from Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick earlier this year to remove him, Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Kent Scribner got a five-year contract extension from the school board yesterday.
You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.
