Members in the Media: Public Servants Need a Healthy Retirement System

Texas game wardens and DPS troopers are among the tens of thousands of state employees who spent their careers making Texas safer, stronger and better — and who count on the pension they were promised once they retire.

Two of our dedicated public employees made that powerful, personal argument in the Austin American-Statesman this past weekend.

“These are some of Texas’ most essential workers,” Lieutenant Richard Jankovsky, who is president of the Department of Public Safety Officers Association, and Major Quint Balkcom, president of the Texas Game Warden Peace Officers Association.

“They played a vital role helping the state weather the pandemic. Many have traded higher private-sector salaries for careers in public service. The state’s promise of meaningful retirement benefits encourages and rewards this commitment.”

The pair reiterated the calls for lawmakers to invest an additional $950 million into the Employees Retirement System to bring the fund in balance in a way that meets retirees’ needs:

For decades, the state has failed to adequately fund its Employees Retirement System (ERS). The pension fund’s uncertain future now represents a looming crisis for taxpayers and employees. 

Unless something changes, the fund could be completely depleted in 40 years, and it will only get more expensive to prevent this catastrophe. Already, it has been 20 years since state retirees had a cost-of-living annuity adjustment.

It took years to create this problem, and it will take years to solve it.