NEW: Retirement Board Approves Double Pensions
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The Providence Retirement Board this morning approved pensions for several former city councilmen.
The councilmen all sought regular city pensions, in addition to the elected official pension. They were: John Lombardi, Josephine DiRuzzo, Laurence Flynn, Peter Mancini, and Balbina Young. (Click here to read the original GoLocalProv report.)
The board also dealt with a number of hot-button issues:
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST■ Cicilline’s pension: It took no action on a proposal to revoke or reduce former Mayor David Cicilline’s pension after the city reportedly produced evidence that he had waived his elected official pension. Cicilline also was not eligible for a regular pension.
■ Cianci’s pension: The board also took no action on removing another former mayor’s pension—Buddy Cianci. But the issue is not dead, according to board member Raymond Hull. Instead he said the board is awaiting a Superior Court decision on a similar pension case, involving former city official Frank Corrente. The board has also held back on doing anything until Cianci actually applies for his retirement pay.
■ Second pension for Esserman: After a drawn-out discussion, the board narrowly voted 6 to 5 to request a whole ream of documents on payments into what board member Kerion O’Mara claims is a second pension for the police chief. The city has been paying into a 457 plan, which technically is a deferred compensation plan.
The board took action on Esserman's alleged second pension even after a city attorney said it had no authority in the matter. O’Mara maintains it does because city ordinance gives it authority over his regular city pension. “To say we don’t have authority is absolutely ludicrous,” O’Mara said.
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