CHESTER, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — More financial woes mount for Chester, Delaware County, as former employees file a court motion against the city — which is now at odds with its retirees over the payment of legal fees.
Pension payments to the city’s retirees could be on the chopping block as Chester works to get out of bankruptcy. As that fight gets worked out, the city must pay for the retirees’ legal counsel, something that's yet to be done.
Chester receiver Michael Doweary has tried to navigate this while getting the city off of Pennsylvania’s financially distressed list.
“The challenge is the accounting side of it. The professionals racked up pretty hefty fees, $500,000 in a matter of three months, and I think we’re now at about $700,000,” he explained.
Alan Davis worked as a police officer in Chester for 27 years, before retiring in 2016 after being shot in the line of duty and losing the use of his right arm.
The former patrol captain is part of the retiree committee and says they need the best representation possible when their pensions and health insurance are at stake. He claims Chester is backing out of its obligation.
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“It’s very disappointing. The receiver and the city both have paid professionals representing them and our legal team’s being told they’re not getting paid,” he said.
Retired fire chief Chuck Bolgunas, a 31-year fire veteran, agrees with Davis that the city needs to pay what it owes.
“We’re pensioners, some guys are making less than $1,000 a month,” he said. “We already have high anxiety because we don’t know if we’re losing our pensions or we’re going to get a cut in our pensions. We don’t know if we’re going to lose our health care.”
Doweary says the city has offered to pay $100,000 a month for the legal fees while they figure out how to work it into the city’s budget. However, he says Chester can’t afford more at this time.
“We’re really not disputing whether or not professionals should be provided for and whose responsibility is it,” he said. “It’s just a matter of, how do we pay it?”
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