Union billboard bashes mayor and council

This billboard appears to have sprouted up over the weekend in view of City Hall at the mouth of I-83, the latest salvo in the fight over pensions for city police and fire fighters. A spokeswoman for the unions say it will be up throughout the month of August.

Changes in the pension system - which strip more money from the paychecks of officers and firefighters - were made necessary by a deficit in the police and fire retirement fund that could have cost the cash-strapped city $65 million. That problem came as the mayor had to close a $121 million budget shortfall by raising taxes and new fees.

Union officials have filed a federal lawsuit accusing the city of purposely underfunding the pension system and arguing that the changes violate contractual labor agreements.

The mayor's office issued this statement regarding the billboard:

"Rank and file police and fire officers understand that cities that give full retirements to 41 year old government employees will go bankrupt before long.

This year’s reform of the Fire and Police Pension System ensures our retirees will have a dignified and secure retirement plan the City can afford. The restructuring saves more than $400 million over the next five years and rescues the pension system from fiscal collapse"