After pulling back the deal they were poised to approve weeks ago, Orange County supervisors are set to vote next week on raises for thousands of county employees -- in exchange for concessions from workers and retirees to shore up deficits in the county's retiree medical care and pension funds. Officials have been struggling for more than a year to reduce the funds' $3.7-billion shortfall, which has been attributed to increased medical costs, retirement deals cut over the years and the fact that retirees are living longer.
See "O.C. Supervisors to Vote on County Raises", Christian Berthelsen, Los Angeles Times, September 6, 2006