OVIEDO PICNIC A SUCCESS, FLAGLER SCHEDULED

Members of the Oviedo Police Department were out in full force on March 16 for their first membership picnic. The event was held at the police department with most of the department members coming out for a few games, socializing and some good eats.

 Members in the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office should remember a picnic is scheduled soon for their agency. It will take place from 12pm-3pm on April 7 at Hershel King Park, 1000 Grady Prather Dr, Palm Coast. All FCSO members and family are encouraged to attend.

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH: KEVIN MCCARTHY

In our latest edition of “Five Questions”, the CFPBA sat down with Kevin McCarthy, a financial advisor and retired CFPBA member. Kevin has been following the financial markets and assisting public employees with their retirement needs for over thirteen years.

1) CFPBA/PEA: With all the uncertainty of the past few years, how do you see today’s financial markets, especially as it might affect our public employees?
KM: With markets at or near all-time highs, the obvious questions revolve around how sustainable the current rallies are. This market rally has not been economy driven, which is more typical, but rather “Wall Street” driven, as corporate profits and cash on hand are both at all-time highs. With the economy finally showing signs of life, there is a possibility that the current market could sustain its levels. Conversely, with economic conditions in Europe still uncertain, a pullback is possible. For public employees who are at or nearing retirement, reduce or eliminate the market exposure in your retirement funds.

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LEGISLATIVE SESSION UPDATE

 With still a full five weeks remaining in the annual legislative session, this year does not appear to be one in which major changes will occur that affect CFPBA/PEA members. Two significant proposals are moving in both the House and Senate. The first is a bill that would change the way the Florida Retirement System treats employees who are hired for the first time after January 1, 2014. While the House version would place all employees hired after that date in a defined-contribution plan and prevent them from being part of a traditional, defined-benefit plan, the Senate version of this bill would do this only with those classified as Senior Management Employees or Elected Officials.

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT (March 2013)

Dear Members:

Like many of you, I’ve hoped for three or four years now that “this” would be the year. Sadly, with each year that went by, it wasn’t “the” year. And by that I mean, the year that the economy turned around and gave cities and counties the ability to start properly compensating employees. Well, while I hate to jinx it, so far 2013 appears to be the year we have been waiting for.

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MELBOURNE PD MEMBER SAVES LIFE

 Too often it goes without saying, but the work our members do day in and day out often prevent tragedy, heartache and save lives. All in a day’s work. For Sergeant Blake Lanza of the Melbourne Police Department, his quick action was lauded recently as he extracted an unconscious motorist from a burning vehicle.

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Brevard County Educators Seek New Representation

BREVARD EDUCATORS SEEK NEW REPRESENTATION

April 30, 2013
Contact: Mike Scudiero – (386) 304-2393

VIERA – The Coastal Florida Public Employees Association is pleased to announce it has begun accepting new memberships from public school teachers in Brevard County.

“Like each of our valued members, the educators who serve the students and families of Brevard county deserve the best representation possible when they go to work each day,” said Vincent L. Champion, President of the Coastal Florida Public Employees Association.

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