Frazier

In this class action on behalf of all current and retired police officers and firefighters of the City of Richmond and their successors in interest/beneficiaries who are members of a pension plan set forth in article XI of the City of Richmond Charter, the trial court determined (1) that the “salary” used to compute retirement allowances under article XI should include the holiday pay and uniform allowances provided to current police and fire department employees and (2) that City of Richmond payments for group life and disability insurance and contributions toward health, medical, dental, hospitalization and prescription drug plans should not be deemed “salary” for retirement computation purposes. Plaintiffs Marvin G. Frazier et al. (hereafter Officers) appeal from the latter determination. Defendant City of Richmond (hereafter City) appeals from the former.

I

This action was initially filed on March 25, 1982. Officers subsequently filed a fourth amended complaint (hereafter Complaint) on August 1, 1983, in which they requested a declaration of their rights under article XI of the City of Richmond Charter and petitioned for a writ of mandate to compel the payment of…