Disability claims dig into city budget

While Cloquet finance director Nancy Klassen painted a mostly positive picture of the city’s financial position last week, one number in particular stood out: a $3.2 million actuarially determined increase in the city’s long-term public safety expense, to cover ongoing and future insurance benefits for former police officers on disability.

The issue is complicated because it involves actions by both the State of Minnesota and the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) which resulted in the city’s obligations. There is nothing the city can do on its own to limit those added costs, Klass...