nothin Double-Dipping Barred — A 2nd Time | New Haven Independent

Double-Dipping Barred — A 2nd Time

Markeshia Ricks Photo

Former interim Fire Chief Black.

Retired city and Board of Education employees and their spouses must waive their pensions if they want to come back to work for the city in an more than the most limited part-time capacity, thanks to a vote Tuesday night by the Board of Alders.

Alders voted during their second regular meeting of the month to restore language to the municipal code that addressed the rehiring of retired city employees that was erroneously” deleted.

Marchand.

Westville Alder Adam Marchand, who also serves as vice chair of the Finance Committee, amended the restored language to cover rehiring not only retired employees, but also their spouses. If a retired city or Board of Education employee or spouse is rehired to work more than 20 hours a week, or hired to work for more than six months, they must first sign a waiver to suspend their pension.

Alders accepted the amended language and voted in favor of adding it back to the city’s code. Quinnipiac Meadows Alder Gerald Antunes, a retired city police officer, abstained from the vote.

Alders said it appears that the rule might have been repealed as part of a 2005 project to review and recodify the city’s code of ordinances. City officials at the time believed that the original language was made moot by provisions under a state general statute that applies to the Connecticut Municipal Employee Fund. It has since been discovered that, in fact, the state law does not cover the city’s own pension funds. The restored language now more clearly sets hiring rules for hiring retired employees, and makes it consistent with revisions made to regulations for the City Employees Retirement Fund.

Mayo collects a paycheck and a pension check.

In the last year, the city tapped two of its retirees to step in as interim chiefs: Ralph Black, who stepped in as fire chief for about six months, and now Reginald Mayo, who came back from retirement to serve as interim superintendent for at least eight months. It’s unclear whether the language had been deleted before Black, who withdrew his name for consideration for the permanent chief position in June, was rehired and whether he continued to collect his pension during that time.

The language was definitely gone by the time the Board of Ed tapped Mayo to step in after the resignation of former Superintendent Garth Harries in November. In addition to being paid for a maximum 174 days at a per diem rate of $750, or $130,500, Mayo also continues to collect his pension.

The city originally instituted the no-double-dipping rule after years of debate about a common practice, especially at the Board of Ed: Contracting with retirees to do much of their former work. Critics charged that that gave an incentive to employees to retire and come back to work for up to twice the pay. Proponents argued that the city often saved money by filling a position — sometimes only part time — with someone who had special experience and knowledge and didn’t need more benefits.

During the former DeStefano administration, a temporary” double- dipping contract could last years, as in the case of a budget director. More recently the practice has been used to fill a transitional position like interim fire or schools chief.

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