It should be amended to require that an arbitration panel accord substantial weight to the ability to pay factor when making an award. In addition, ability to pay should be defined as the ability of a public employer to pay all economic costs imposed on it by an arbitration award without requiring an increase in the level of real property taxes in existence for each year or years addressed by the award. In order to secure what is referred to as an open competitive examination for which any interested party has an opportunity to sit for the exam, the appointing officer must make a written request with reasons therefor to the local civil service agency, which then has the option of conducting an open competitive examination. The Civil Service Law should be amended to require an open competitive examination upon the written request of the officer or body having the power of appointment. The amount of time the Police and Fire Retirement System takes to act upon a work related disability retirement has dramatically increased in recent years.
Some cases take more than a year to process from the date of application.
The pool of medical examiners used by the Retirement System in some areas of practice are limited. In some areas of the State, the number of judicial hearing officers available to hear appeals of final administrative decisions is limited. As a result of these circumstances and others, a significant delay in the processing of disability retirement applications occurs. For police and firefighters injured in the performance of their work duties and unable to work, State laws require that they continue to receive their regular salary or wages. When the processing of disability retirement application is unreasonably extended, municipalities suffer a direct and significant consequence.