City of Jackson, TN February 26, 2026 Work Session

The City of Jackson, TN held a work session on February 26, 2026, primarily discussing the city pension system and potential changes to it. The council reviewed the current defined benefit pension plan, which requires the city to contribute over 16% of employee salaries, and explored options for new hires including a contributory plan requiring employee contributions and a hybrid plan combining defined benefit and defined contribution elements. The hybrid plan was noted to potentially save the city $4.5 million if applied to all employees and is considered advantageous for long-term employee retirement benefits. The council discussed the legal and practical implications of offering new plans to current and future employees, with education sessions planned for employees to understand their options. Additionally, the meeting covered updates on city-wide policies affecting all departments, including video recording, open records, nonprofit use of city facilities, external websites, AI use, fleet management, and social media policies. The session also touched on cost-saving initiatives, contractor use for road maintenance and snow removal, and the formation of an advisory committee for the animal shelter. No formal votes were recorded during this session, but next steps include potentially passing a resolution to adopt pension plan changes in the upcoming budget cycle.