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Steve Myers
Site Admin
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Thursday, May 18, 2006
By Kristin Longley
klongley@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6249
FLINT - Mayor Don Williamson called for a criminal investigation Wednesday after he said a routine audit showed at least five city employees are getting inflated pensions, some by more than $100,000.
The overpayments, he said, are the result of mistakes in the city's retirement system, which Williamson unsuccessfully called for the state attorney general to investigate. This is the third time in recent years the mayor has highlighted alleged pension scams.
The mayor said at Wednesday's news conference that the employees, who retired between 1998 and 2002, should have recognized the errors and returned the money. The total overpayments add up to almost $366,000 of city money, he said.
Williamson is requesting an audit of every single pension case and said the mistakes could add up to "millions and millions of dollars." He said he thinks other city employees are involved.
"We believe it's only the tip of a huge iceberg," he said. "They will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."
The five employees were named and listed along with their retirement information in a packet the mayor's office distributed. Messages left by The Flint Journal for two of the employees were not returned.
Although Williamson said pension payments to the employees have stopped, city attorney Trachelle Young wouldn't comment on the recovery of the money, saying the legal office is still working on it.
Once the money is in the employees' hands, getting it back might be tricky. There are laws limiting when and how the city can collect, Young said, but they "absolutely" have the right to do it.
The alleged pension errors were first revealed at Tuesday's retirement board meeting, in which Finance Director Peter Dobrzeniecki and Trustee Amy Lindman, who represents police and fire unions on the board, went head to head on how the money should be recovered.
"My attitude is just get the money back," Dobrzeniecki said. "All errors are corrected."
But Lindman was adamant that the city not cut off the employees, who might not even be notified of the errors yet.
Williamson said the pension system has since been reformed, and that he personally reviews every pension case before it is approved.
http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-36/1147962058267950.xml&coll=5 |
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Thu May 18, 2006 7:44 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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COOL, Good Job! Maybe he should look at firing some of those people whose responsibility it was to ensure the payouts were correct?
Don Claims these were "mistakes in the city's retirement system". OK, What part of the system would have to be the next question.
Computer system?
paperwork System. Did the retiree incorrectly fill out the paperwork? Was the person who determined the payout using the proper formulas. Was the computer program, programmed correctly to set the proper amount?
These are the questions we need answers to.
From the tone the Mayor has given. Someone was stealing money from the system. Thus he wanted the States attorney General to come in and investigate. It appears from this article. That there may just be some errors in house that need to be corrected. If they are not just errors. Go get em Don.
That’s about all’s I can say. |
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Thu May 18, 2006 8:44 pm |
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rapunzel
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What a good steward of the taxpayer's money's. What a great sound byte!
Hmmm...no one running for office here.
How many underqualified appointees salaries would equal this great amount of funds?
How many funds diverted from the water and sewer fund will pay for PETERBILT garbage trucks and how many MORE tahoes do they wish to order???? YEP, more tahoes.
300,000 found in Parks and Rec. funds that Bob Cook wants to use to DEMOLISH Every pool site in the CITY. The community was looking for Funds to help REopen Whaley pool. Fourth ward does not have a community center, does not have a senior center.
WE WANT WHALEY POOL OPENED. The community put many hours into fixing this up not so long ago. Our children should have swimming lessons, our seniors could use that facility for arthritic exercise both could be had for a small fee. We have funds in CBGD also for upkeep.
The fourth ward needs your support in getting equal funding. Every year the kids have No place to swim in the hot summer. MOST children do not know how to swim anymore. Local beaches are closed with Ecoli.
This funding sound byte is a political bait and switch. It is budget time.
Watch, listen and let your voice be heard.
Parks and Rec. are taking requests until May 24. |
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Fri May 19, 2006 12:00 am |
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Steve Myers
Site Admin
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A City paramedic unit is money better spent.
As a mother, I would think you would be screaming about the crappy private paramedic service we have in the city.
Did you know the city gets over $900,000.00 a year for paramedic service??
Big ED cut the paramedic service from the fire department and reallocated the funds. |
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Fri May 19, 2006 1:15 am |
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Adam
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I'm pretty pleased with this story. Not everything the mayor does or doesn't do is bad. I personally feel running a major company is probably easier than running a major city courtesy of Giuliani's enlightening novel.
In regards to the other issues raised. I did a post on Flintcitizen about the Whaley Pool. I personally feel perhaps we should do an ombudsman style campaign only a lot more aggresive and in your face.
Ted I know you like details but unfortunately I doubt you can get those without a FOIA. |
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Fri May 19, 2006 9:26 pm |
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Steve Myers
Site Admin
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quote:
Adam: In regards to the other issues raised. I did a post on Flintcitizen about the Whaley Pool. I personally feel perhaps we should do an ombudsman style campaign only a lot more aggresive and in your face.
In whos face about what ?? The pool?? |
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Fri May 19, 2006 10:10 pm |
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Adam
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| I'm thinking we could lobby the council and also try and get communtiy support for saving it. Perhaps we could even lobby the Mott Foundation or individuals. We somehow would have to impact the decision makers. |
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Sat May 20, 2006 2:18 pm |
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Steve Myers
Site Admin
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Adam, your time would be better spent lobbying for paramedic service for the city.
There are pools at the YMCA and the High Schools, why not go to one of them??
Why should I have to pay for pool that I do not want and the city can not afford? |
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Sat May 20, 2006 3:42 pm |
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