Merger or not, pension remains problem:
Few want to talk about the prospect. But if the police merger should fail, it won’t mean a return to business as usual. Local government can’t sustain the status quo much longer. There’s a reason Mayor Bart Peterson, a Democrat, is exploring cop consolidation now. Because of the rising cost of police and fire pensions, every year it becomes more difficult to keep public safety budgets in the black. This year, the city will pay $21.6 million toward the pension…