Kerbel is not the only one on the 19-member study group with a potential stake. State police and judges were not touched by the last round of pension changes, but now there is a representative of each group on the study group deciding what, if anything, can and should be done this year to curb the state and local costs of providing the state’s retired public employees with pensions and health-care benefits unavailable to many — if not most — of the other taxpayers paying the tab.

Other public employees on the panel include state General Treasurer Frank Caprio, Cumberland Mayor Daniel McKee and longtime University of Rhode Island employee Michael Downey, the president of Council 94, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

The Ethics Commission plans to formally address Kerbel’s query — which arguably will set the standard for the other potentially conflicted members — tomorrow.

But Kerbel said Friday he was pleased that a draft opinion that Ethics Commission staff sent him in advance would allow him to continue as a member, knowing how concerned the mayor and city are about the future of the pension system. He made public a copy that noted there are over 60,000 members of the state and municipal pension plans, and at least 1,800 are like Kerbel — former municipal employees who are entitled to, but not yet collecting pensions.

Beyond that, it said: “It does not appear that the petitioner’s mere participation as a member of this advisory body will result in a direct monetary gain or loss to himself.”