By Bruce Eggler
NOLA.com
NEW ORLEANS — A Civil District Court judge has ordered the financially hard-pressed city to immediately pay New Orleans firefighters $17.5 million to cover the city’s 2012 obligations to the firefighters’ pension fund. Judge Robin Giarrusso issued the order March 28, but it only became public Monday.
The city and firefighters have been battling in the courts for decades over how much the city owes in pension obligations and pay, with the firefighters generally emerging victorious. Giarrusso’s order comes as Mayor Mitch Landrieu already has said the city cannot afford to pay millions of dollars to carry out pending consent decrees mandating improvements to the New Orleans Police Department and the city jail.
Firefighters union head Nick Felton said he hopes the city will meet with his group and “work something out.”
Full story: New Orleans orderd to pay firefighters $17.5 million to cover pension obligations