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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW UPDATED: Attorney general says 13 dead in shooting at UCC ... LISTEN: Recording of 911 dispatch during UCC shooting ... City will dedicate new community center Saturday ... UPDATED: Attorney general says 13 dead in shooting at UCC ... LISTEN: Recording of 911 dispatch during UCC shooting ... City will dedicate new community center Saturday ... COURTS PERS ruling will hit schools, local government Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 30, 2015 at 4:08 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 30, 2015 at 4:08 PM » Social News Local governments are going to take a financial hit after the Oregon Supreme Court struck down the Legislature’s 2013 cuts to the Public Employees Retirement System. “It’s going to cost us millions of dollars over the next couple of decades,” said Brad Earl, chief operations officer at the Medford School District. Earl and other officials say it’s too early to tell what the financial impact will be following the court ruling, but they do say it will mean less is spent on classrooms. “It will chew up all the additional money that could be going toward reducing class sizes and enhancing student success,” he said. The anticipated increase in PERS comes after the Legislature agreed to increase the K-12 budget in the upcoming biennium. Earl said he’s not sure if PERS will institute new rates almost immediately or hold off for a couple of years until the next legislative budget session. He said he would prefer to start paying sooner rather than waiting until later when the payments could be higher. In anticipation of the PERS ruling, Earl said the Medford School Board agreed to maintain a more than $10 million carryover out of a $125 million budget. “We thought this was a very tenuous situation — that it could get overturned,” he said. Now, with the certainty of paying more in PERS payments, Earl said he would consider recommending maintaining a smaller reserve fund. However, Earl is also looking at the possibility that some group might challenge the Oregon Supreme Court decision by taking it to the federal courts. Other government agencies are waiting to how the dust settles. “No one will know what the liability will be until PERS gives us the rates,” said Danny Jordan, administrator for Jackson County. Even if the county had to pay more money into PERS, Jordan said, it would likely be spread over a multi-year period, which would soften the hit. “Even with this, generally speaking, Jackson County is in a good financial position,” he said. Paul Morrow, accounting supervisor in Medford’s finance department, said the goal of the PERS reform was to reduce the cost to employers. Until he receives word from PERS, Morrow said he’s not sure how much the city will be impacted. “It’s a real complex formula,” he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 30, 2015 at 4:08 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501