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Senate approves compromise to shift firefighter surcharge revenue toward statewide public‑safety COLA; opponents call it unfair to firefighters
Summary
Third substitute SB26 caps the firefighter fund share at 40% and redirects remaining surcharge funds to boost retirement cost‑of‑living adjustments for statewide public‑safety employees. Supporters called it a necessary equity fix for police; opponents said it reduces long‑standing firefighter funding and burdens local employers or employees to make funds whole.
The Utah Senate on March 1 passed a third substitute of Senate Bill 26, a contentious compromise changing how a surcharge that funds public‑safety retirement COLAs is allocated.
Under the bill, the portion of the premium surcharge directed to full‑time firefighter retirement funding would be capped at 40 percent; the remainder of the surcharge would flow into a statewide public‑safety account intended to increase cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLAs) for law‑enforcement retirees.…
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