Police pension changes debated

10/16/2006

Stan Fisher , Register Correspondent

CLINTON — A plan to eliminate the police administrators’ pension plan, seen by some as a radical change in benefits and involving hundreds of thousands of dollars, is being pushed as fast as First Selectman William Fritz can manage it. While the financial particulars of the proposed change have not been calculated, Fritz recently tried but failed to persuade the police pension committee to immediately approve it.

Finance board Chairman Gerard Campion and police commission Chairman David Lee, who serve with Fritz on the pension committee, agreed to have Town Attorney Gabriel Jiran prepare a draft proposal to replace the pension system.

The haste with which Fritz is moving was described as "remarkable" in comparison to the usual pace of town governance, according to one police officer in attendance.

The elimination of the present plan is a way to keep Maj. James Fitzgerald on the force, Fritz said after the pension committee meeting. A 27-year veteran and highly regarded member of the department, Fitzgerald has been offered an investigative job in the insurance industry.

While Fritz did not name Fitzgerald at the meeting, he did tell the pension committee, "Time is of the essence, because the guy we’re talking about — they’re banging on his door."

Fitzgerald was promoted to major to replace John Welch, who also left the department for the insurance industry and an offer of an equivalent salary combined with the ability to draw his pension benefits. Former police Cpl. James Budkus took a similar opportunity.

Fritz is proposing that the present "defined benefit" plan be eliminated and replaced in 2009 with a plan that would allow Fitzgerald, Chief Joseph Faughnan and Maj. William Chapman to collect pension benefits while also collecting a salary.

Fritz said later that the change also would save the town an enormous amount of money, because it no longer would finance the plan entirely as it does now. Instead, he wants to institute a pension plan, financed principally by contributions from the officer, with a percentage payment from the town.

Police administrators now must serve 10 years to qualify for the plan and are eligible to retire after 25 years. The elimination of the 10-year vesting period would make the department more attractive to outside candidates for administrative positions, he said.

But some rank-and-file officers see the elimination of the present pension plan as a disincentive to aspire to administrative rank in the department.

Fitzgerald himself said at the meeting, "The future of our department is going to be in the hands of our younger officers."

Sgt. Todd Lawrie said the present defined-benefit plan is a principal incentive for rank-and-file officers to join the department, as well as for other town personnel. Town Finance Director Rosemary Hanson agreed with Lawrie that she sought a job in Clinton because it offered a defined-benefit pension plan.