Chester is making progress in its bankruptcy recovery because of improved cooperation and practical investments, writes Kathleen E. Carey for the Daily Times.
Receiver Vijay Kapoor said the tone of how the city governs has shifted, with stronger collaboration among his office, elected officials, and staff.
Improvements have been made to the city’s severely underfunded police, fire, and employee pension plans, Kapoor said.
In 2020, the police pension plan had only $1.75 million and was at risk of running out of money. As of Oct. 31, that plan had $27.4 million.
Another sign of progress was the purchase of a new bucket truck for the Public Works Department, replacing aging equipment.
Kapoor said the city is working to stabilize finances while maintaining essential services, even as it continues to face pressures from pension obligations, retiree health care costs, and pending court decisions related to debt payments.
“We obviously want to make sure that the city’s finances are in order both in the short term as well as in the long term, but ultimately a city exists in order to provide services to its residents,” Kapoor said.
Read more about the progress Chester has made as it navigates out of bankruptcy in the Daily Times.
