At that time, Joe Connarton, director of the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC), convened an initial meeting to seek input on carrying out the Legislature's mandate (1st step) for PERAC to file a report on the actuarial liabilities of a higher base and make recommendations to the Legislature prior to December 31, 2005.

Present at the meeting were PERAC actuaries, public retirement officials and Association leaders. Everyone attending agreed on the need for a higher base. Also, everyone agreed that the challenge would be to find alternative options of implementing a higher base, and yet stay within reasonable parameters of our state's pension funding schedule, which includes amortization of our unfunded liability.

"A recommendation from PERAC to the Legislature for a higher base would be fruitless, unless the recommendation includes a fiscal formula that is acceptable to the House and Senate," said Association Legislative Liaison Shawn Duhamel. "It was a beneficial meeting at PERAC, in that it was the first time such a meeting under a legislative mandate had ever been held."

"They (Legislature) want to help us, but first we have to help them," said Ralph White. "PERAC's actuaries will be looking at every possible formula. It would then be up to us to decide which formula we feel has a chance for passage in the Legislature. We're not going to chase windmills. A lot hinges on what PERAC might recommend."