Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala is calling for \u201cindependent oversight\u201d of the county\u2019s pension fund. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s the latest in a situation we\u2019ve been following for years. <\/p>\n
In 2024, the district attorney filed a lawsuit<\/a> over what he called a \u201clooming crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n The DA called for that oversight as part of a three-page letter of response to last week\u2019s report from the county\u2019s retirement board. <\/p>\n He blamed political aspirations of board members as the root cause of the $1.4 billion unfunded pension liability. <\/p>\n \u201cI strongly recommend that immediate steps be taken by Allegheny County Council and the State Legislature to appoint independent oversight of the Retirement Board while consideration is given to the creation of new revenue streams, a new pension system, and a new unconflicted Retirement Board,\u201d Zappala\u2019s letter reads. <\/p>\n The board has seven members. Three are elected county positions, including the county controller, treasurer and executive. <\/p>\n Channel 11 reached out to Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. She sent us a statement saying: <\/p>\n \u201cAs a member of the Pension board, my team and I take the health and financial performance of the pension very seriously. Recently, the pension board released a preliminary report to shore up the pension fund and protect workers\u2019 retirements. I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and implementing this plan in partnership with other elected leaders and experts in this field.<\/p>\n \u201cThe report highlights the issues created over the decades that this District Attorney has been in office. He has had ample time to suggest a holistic solution beyond the reform County Executive Fitzgerald got done in 2014. Apparently, it took the first woman County Executive for him to be motivated to speak up. Those of us who are actually working on this issue in a timely manner will continue to do what is right for our workers and retirees.\u201d<\/p>\n Gary Herndon, a county facilities worker who\u2019s just about ready to retire, told us, \u201cI probably have another year left here. It\u2019s really important to me who controls it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe depend on it. We need it when we need it, and I hope it\u2019s there. I don\u2019t want somebody controlling it who really doesn\u2019t know anything about it,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n You can read Zappala\u2019s full comments below:<\/p>\n Download the <\/b>FREE WPXI News app<\/b><\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/b><\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on <\/b>Facebook<\/b><\/a> and <\/b>Twitter<\/b><\/a>. | <\/b>Watch WPXI NOW<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n