Pension revocation examined

09/21/2007

Angela Carter , Register Staff

NEW HAVEN — The Board of Aldermen’s Finance Committee Thursday decided to collect data from 13 states that have pension revocation laws and from two state officials who have researched such legislation. Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal were the first to testify at a public hearing in the Aldermanic Chamber at City Hall, in support of a resolution calling for a committee to review the city’s ability to reduce or revoke pensions of municipal employees or officials who use their positions to break the law. They both offered to help the aldermen draft legislation. Blumenthal has advocated for state legislation for three years.

"It seems to me it is a crime those who violate the public trust in such a fundamental way have our (financial) support as taxpayers," Bysiewicz said.

The resolution was introduced in March by Hill Alderman Jorge Perez, D-5, and Annex Alderman Alphonse Paolillo Jr., D-17, after former city detectives William White and Justen Kasperzyk were arrested on federal corruption charges. White retired with a $91,000-a-year pension. The Police and Fireman’s Pension Board on Thursday granted Kasperzyk, who has a back injury, a disability pension worth $41,013 a year. Three quarters of that is tax-exempt. The cases against White and Kasperzyk are pending in federal court.

Police and fire union representatives said before the hearing they would be amenable to negotiating with the city for a clause in the union contract, but said government can’t shove it down their throats.

"They can talk all they want about a bad-boy clause," said Sgt. Louis Cavaliere, police union president. But there are certain pension protections written into the labor contract, so if the city wants a bad-boy clause it can bring it to the table during contract negotiations, he said.

Fire Lt. James Kottage, vice president of the fire union, questioned the fairness. Police officers and firefighters aren’t eligible to collect Social Security benefits, and pay into the pension fund their entire careers. To void their pensions, he argued, would be akin to disqualifying someone in the private sector from collecting Social Security if after an arrest.

Both Perez and Paolillo pointed out that only the city’s contribution to an individual’s pension benefits would be subject to revocation or reduction, only if that individual is convicted of committing a crime in connection with their public duties.

As a gesture of support, 24 of board’s 30 aldermen have signed on to the resolution.

William Kaempffer contributed to this story.