Pensions
Candidate Q&A Oct. 11 Primary Edition: Mayor, City Council and Sheriff
BGR’s Candidate Q&A reports ask the candidates for mayor, City Council and sheriff in the October 11, 2025 primary election to explain how they will address important public policy issues if elected. BGR developed the questions based on our...
Altering Firefighter Pension Benefits Demands Careful Analysis and Justification
This BGR NOW report analyzes a proposal in the spring legislative session to increase pension benefits for New Orleans firefighters. While the proposal will not move forward, BGR finds several concerns and risks for the City of New Orleans...
City Reverses Reforms Intended to Rein in Sharply Rising Pension Costs
OVERVIEW BGR’s report, A Retreat on Pension Reform: City of New Orleans Reverses Steps to Rein in Sharply Rising Pension Costs by Increasing Benefits, analyzes the City’s little-publicized decision last fall to reverse pension benefit reductions intended to address...
From Answers to Action: Post-Election Policy Making
OVERVIEW This report is the latest installment in BGR’s Candidate Q&A Election Series. The new report consolidates and reissues the responses of the newly elected City of New Orleans mayor and councilmembers who completed BGR’s surveys last fall on...
2017 Candidate Q&A Election Series: New Orleans
Overview For the October 14, 2017 primary elections in New Orleans, BGR provided voters with its 2017 Candidate Q&A Election Series. BGR submitted questions to all mayoral and City Council candidates on public safety, infrastructure and other important public policy...
On the Ballot: New Orleans Fire and Drainage Taxes
Overview BGR reviews two property tax propositions on the ballot in New Orleans on December 10, 2016: a tax increase for fire protection services for the City of New Orleans and a tax renewal for the Sewerage & Water...
BGR Cuts Paths for Pension Reform in the Metro Area
Overview Reducing the Cost of Tomorrow: A Practical Guide to Pension Reform in Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany Parishes explores the changes to public pension benefits policymakers can make to reduce the costs and risks associated with the pension plans....
BGR Reviews Tax Propositions for Streets, Public Safety
Overview BGR explains and analyzes two tax propositions in New Orleans on April 9, 2016: one for street work and other improvements, and a second for the police and fire departments.
New Orleans Firefighter Pension Woes and the Legislative Session
Overview In Sound the Alarm, BGR examines the New Orleans Fire Fighters’ Pension and Relief Fund – which has become a major financial burden for the public – and relevant bills under consideration by the Legislature in 2013.
Metro Area Pension Costs and the Factors that Drive Them
Overview In The Rising Cost of Yesterday: Metro Area Pension Costs and the Factors that Drive Them, BGR examines 18 defined benefit pension plans available to local government workers in Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes (the Plans). The...