ST. LOUIS • Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, surrounded by at least 50 firefighters lining the steps of City Hall’s main foyer this morning, broke two weeks of silence on his intentions and announced a new plan — one he brokered — to overhaul the city fire pension system. Reed said he worked all night with firefighter union leaders and aldermen. They estimated the new plan will save $7.6 million next year. And unlike Mayor Francis Slay’s proposal, Reed said, his will not be challenged in court.

Reed’s plan instead takes the historical route to change, which requires passage in both the state legislature and at the city’s board of aldermen.

It would also allow Reed to completely circumnavigate Slay’s proposed board bills.

Slay’s plan was introduced by Craig Schmid, an ally on the board, two weeks ago. It essentially closes the current Firemen’s Retirement System of St. Louis, and starts a new system with some cuts to current firefighters and markedly lower benefits for new hires.

Firefighters have been up in arms since the introduction of the bills. But Reed, while agreeing that the fire pension system must change, did not publicly reveal his own plans.

Today’s press conference was the first time Reed discussed his ideas on pension reform.

Reed’s plan does not cut benefits for current employees. The president said courts have deemed such a move illegal, and it would almost certainly bring a suit from firefighters.

Firefighter union leaders said they anticipated taking the ideas to the state legislature as soon as possible, and hoped to get savings in time for next year’s budget.

After the meeting, a few aldermen took the mic, and railed against Reed’s plan.

"The taxpayer wasn’t in that room," Conway said, referring to the discussions last night. Firefighters surrounded him, yelling out questions and booing and hissing.

Sam Dotson, the mayor’s director of operations and one of the city’s official negotiators, said he couldn’t say much about Reed’s proposal – his office wasn’t invited to the meeting, and hasn’t seen any proposal.

"We were spectators at the press conference," Dotson said. Moreover, he said, he cannot imagine the mayor’s office agreeing to any changes that leave any pension control in the hands of state legislators.

"Local control has to happen," Dotson said.

"That is actually the fundamental problem," he said. "What they've put together is a wish list of what they'd like to happen. If it goes to Jeff City and doesn't pass, taxpayers suffer."