Opinion ID: 1737824
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: City of Clearwater v. Terrence Rowe, Case Number 93,984

Text: In 1992, Mr. Rowe was injured while working as an air conditioning technician for the City. In 1993, he began to receive pension benefits. In 1994, he was accepted as permanently and totally disabled and began to receive workers' compensation benefits and supplemental benefits. His initial pension offset was calculated using his individual AWW and included supplemental benefits. The offset was recalculated annually to include increases in supplemental benefits. In 1996, Mr. Rowe began to receive social security disability in addition to his other benefits. Mr. Rowe conceded the City had the right to include supplemental benefits when initially calculating the offset; however, he asserted that the City should not be allowed to increase the offset annually to include increases in supplemental benefits, which were meant to be a cost-of-living increase for permanently and totally disabled workers. The JCC held it was proper to recalculate the offset annually to include increases in supplemental benefits. The First District reversed the JCC, citing Acker v. City of Clearwater, 755 So.2d 651 (Fla. 1st DCA 1998), and certified the same question presented therein. See Rowe v. City of Clearwater, 755 So.2d 137 (Fla. 1st DCA 1998). For the reasons expressed above, we approve the First District's decision in Rowe. Nothing in this opinion should be read to change the workers' compensation offset under section 440.15(9), Florida Statutes (1985). That offset provision is different from section 440.20(15), Florida Statutes (1985), because of the federal social security offset provisions. It is so ordered. HARDING, C.J., and SHAW, WELLS, ANSTEAD, PARIENTE and LEWIS, JJ., concur.