As Waukegan Mayor, Sam Cunningham underfunded the Police and Fire retirement funds (pensions) by nearly a million dollars each. Residents depend on our first responders to be there when we need them, and they should be able to rely on us to be there for them. As Mayor, I provided extra funding to make up for some of the loss—another example of cleaning up Cunningham’s financial mismanagement of City resources.
The black line represents the state-mandated funding levels for the police pension. The red is the property tax levy allocated to fund the pensions. Tax levies fully funded the pensions for many years. In 2019 and 2020, Cunningham underfunded the police pension by nearly a million dollars. In contrast, I provided excess funding of $442,692, making up 47% of Cunningham’s deficit.
At the April 21, 2014, Council meeting, Resolution 12-R-60 passed, allocating all the Gaming Revenue Funds from the Video Gaming Act (230 ILCS 40 ET SEQ.) to the Waukegan Police and Fire Pensions. The gaming money has always been added to pensions above and beyond the statuary contribution from the tax levy. This extra funding is helping us catch up. Cunningham played a shell game of using the gaming money to take away tax money. It sounds similar to how the state lottery was supposed to increase school funding here in Waukegan.
The fire pension is no different. In 2019 and 2020, Cunningham underfunded the fire pension by nearly a million dollars. In contrast, I provided excess funding of $240,714, making up 26% of Cunningham’s deficit.
Rather than playing shell games, I want the Waukegan Police and Fire departments to know that Waukeganites support them by providing them with the necessary equipment and staffing levels and taking care of them and their families.