Attorneys for Atlanta employees are asking the Georgia Supreme Court to reconsider its recent ruling that upheld Mayor Kasim Reed's 2011 pension reform.
The move prolongs a two-year legal battle many thought was put to rest when the state’s top judges sided with Atlanta in a unanimous decision earlier this month.
The filing apparently caught at least some of the plaintiffs, not to mention city officials, off-guard. Stephen Borders, a former Atlanta firefighter named in the lawsuit, said he thinks many employees are ready to start rebuilding a relationship with the mayor’s office.
Reed and public safety unions have sparred in recent years over pension and pay, with Reed refusing to award raises while the legal challenge played out in the court. On Nov. 2, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the city, affirming Atlanta's right to modify its pension program without increasing benefits.
“From the people I’ve talked to, we’re ready to move on,” Borders said, adding that the employees respect the court’s decision. “If anything else, it’s a relief to feel like we have a good grasp of what the city can and can’t do.”
Attorneys for the employees could not be reached for comment on Monday.
City Attorney Cathy Hampton said her office is preparing a response to the filing.
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