PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Providence City Council president says an effort to reinstate automatic pension hikes for retired city workers has been abandoned.
Michael Solomon says he met over the weekend with Councilman John Igliozzi about his plan to submit an amendment to restore cost-of-living increases for retirees.
The entire council, including Igliozzi, voted for legislation to take away the increases, and Mayor Angel Taveras (tuh-VEHR'-us) signed it into law last week. Igliozzi later backtracked, saying it was "too severe" and that he would seek to amend it.
Taveras vowed to veto any attempt to reinstate the COLA increases after Igliozzi and Councilman Terrence Hassett changed their minds. The pension changes are expected to save nearly $16 million next fiscal year.
A Monday meeting to replace Igliozzi as finance chairman has been cancelled.