The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS — Dallas police officers and firefighters who want pension benefits for same-sex spouses will have to keep waiting.
The Dallas Police and Fire Pension fund’s board declined Thursday to put the issue on an upcoming ballot of its members, despite pleas from several police officers. The board members did agree to reconsider the issue within three months.
The change would be to let same-sex spouses who outlive city pensioners receive lifetime benefits, as opposite-sex spouses do. But Texas doesn’t recognize same-sex marriages.
Making the change requires a vote of the pension’s membership. The board decided in a 7-5 vote that a referendum won’t happen yet. In a subsequent vote, the board agreed to create a committee to study the issue before its reconsideration.
Close to a dozen female police officers, several of whom are married to same-sex partners, told the board that change is overdue.
“We want to be recognized by the city, by the pension that’s supposed to be protecting our families,” said Kassandra Schiver, who has been a Dallas officer since 2004. “If I were to get shot and killed, my family is not protected.”
The officers were plainly frustrated.
“It’s so black and white to us,” said Bronda Davis, a Dallas officer since 2008. “We go to work every day. We put our lives on the line every day. We do the same things that other people on the street do every day. Yet we can’t take care of our families. We don’t have the right. We just want what is equal, not anything more.”
Board members who spoke against adding the measure to the ballot said the last-minute change would invite confusion. The main issue on the ballot, on which voting is set to begin this month, are controversial and complex changes to the deferred retirement program known as DROP. The board’s consultants say the changes are essential to the fund’s financial health.
“We’ve already educated the members on what’s currently on the ballot,” said board chairman George Tomasovic, a fire battalion chief. “I’d rather not add it at this late stage of the game.”
The board’s vice chairman, Dan Wojcik, a police sergeant, agreed. “We cannot just put this on the ballot at the last minute,” he said.
The board’s four City Council members -- Tennell Atkins, Lee Kleinman, Philip Kingston and Scott Griggs -- all supported putting the measure on the ballot. So did Joe Schutz, the youngest police officer on the board.
In March, the City Council passed a resolution reinforcing equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender city employees. The resolution called for changes to the city’s two pension systems -- one for uniformed public safety workers and one for civilian employees. Both funds have significant autonomy from the city, and neither has yet made changes.
Kleinman brought the issue before the police and fire pension board last month, but the board voted not to add it to the upcoming ballot. He and Kingston brought it back Thursday, hoping other board members would reconsider.
Kingston said there was no reason to wait.
“I just think this issue is real easy; everybody gets this issue,” he said. “This seems like delay for the sake of delay.”
After the meeting, Wojcik approached Barbara Hobbs, a police lieutenant who had spoken emotionally in favor of the change.
Wojcik asked her to help the board’s committee study the issue.
“I believe this is very important, and I want to see it pass,” Wojcik told Hobbs, grasping her hand. “But timing is everything.”
Tomasovic was asked after the meeting how he would vote if the measure were on the ballot. “I’m in favor of it,” he said.
Copyright 2014 The Dallas Morning News