Newport recognized for pension reform

Newport Beach received a Rose Award for its pension reform efforts at the Orange County Taxpayers Assn.’s annual Roses, Radishes and the Royalty Awards event Thursday evening.

The city has worked to reduce staffing and its pension liability in a variety of ways, including negotiating deals with employee unions that increased employees’ contributions to their pensions.

“Through hard work, persistence and negotiation, the council achieved pension reform,” Councilwoman Leslie Daigle said Friday. “The council’s been an advocate for budgetary actions that balance the competing demands of residents, employees and taxpayers.”

Daigle accepted the award on behalf of the city at the Island Hotel.

City spokeswoman Tara Finnigan wrote in an email that as far as city records indicated, this was Newport’s first Rose Award.

—Jill Cowan

Twitter: @jillcowan