(Radio Iowa) – State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat who’s running for governor, says a government efficiency panel appointed by Republican Governor Reynolds should drop the idea of changing the pension system for public employees.

“Look, these are teachers, they’re fire fighters, they’re plow drivers, they’re police officers,” Sand said to reporters covering one of his stops at the Iowa State Fair. “We have made this deal with them and, to me, when you make a deal, you made a deal and you stick with it.”

Last week, the group Governor Reynolds asked to review state and local government operations revealed it might recommend doing away with the defined benefit plan for pensions state and local government employees receive from IPERS, the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System.

State Auditor Rob Sand

“A big piece of this, to me, that I think everyone’s missing is they’re saying, ‘Oh, these are generous pensions,’ but they’re paychecks are lower,” Sand said. “I will mean a lot of people get into public service because the know, ‘I’m going to get less money now, but I’m going to get more money later,’ and yet I didn’t hear in the language of the recommendation that they’re going to talk about raising their wages.”

Last week during the task force meeting, former Fort Dodge Mayor Terry Lutz said some compensation packages in state and local governments “far exceed” the private sector and he said it’s time for a comprehensive review of pay and benefits for public employees. Lutz also suggested the state should shift to a pension system for future employees similar to 401Ks that’s based largely on contributions from the worker and how well investments perform.