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| Posted: Mar Mar 28, 2007 4:44 pm Post subject: Pact with town allows firemen's double-dipping |
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Pact with town allows firemen's double-dipping
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 03/28/07
BY JASON METHOD
STAFF WRITER
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Four paid firefighters in Cranford can keep their second government jobs and, in the case of two firefighters, an extra set of health benefits, the township's deputy mayor said.
Deputy Mayor Robert Puhak said he questioned the multiple jobs at Monday's Township Committee meeting after the Asbury Park Press reported Sunday on government employees who have two or more public jobs in two government pension systems.
Because Cranford's five-year contract with 28 firefighters has another four years to go, there can be no changes, Puhak said.
Two of the full-time firefighters, Leo J. Schaeffer and Brian W. Ingraham, both have full-time positions supervising rest areas for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
Schaeffer and Ingraham are enrolled in two state pension systems and also have two sets of health benefits. They have declined to comment.
The two were among 28 public employees around the state who made more than $30,000 in each of two public jobs last year and among the 25 who made more than a total of $100,000 at multiple jobs, the Press analysis showed.
Both were enrolled in the Police and Firemen's Retirement System and the Public Employees' Retirement System, which are run by the state. Current state rules do not prohibit employees from working toward two state pensions.
In their jobs, Schaeffer, 31, was paid a total of about $154,000 in 2006 and Ingraham, 31, was paid about $118,000, according to pension and payroll records. Both also received take-home cars from the Turnpike — in case they ever had to respond to an emergency for the authority, according to Turnpike officials.
Included in their Turnpike salaries was overtime; Schaeffer was paid $32,557 in overtime and Ingraham $22,362 last year, according to Turnpike payroll figures.
The Turnpike has since tightened its nonessential overtime policy to cut costs, according to authority officials.
Puhak said Cranford offers a $2,000 incentive to employees who have other health insurance to drop their township benefits. He said he did not understand why employees would carry two benefit plans, since doctors can only be paid by one.
"At the very least, I would hope those individuals currently enrolled with two sets of benefits would take advantage of the inducement offered," Puhak said. "It does employees no good to carry two sets of benefits, and it's an unnecessary additional burden to the taxpayer."
Puhak said he also hoped that the township would consider limits on outside work when contracts are renewed.
"We understand the rationale of outside work, but clearly there's a point where it's too much," Puhak said.
Making ends meet
Another Cranford firefighter, George McGrath, said Monday he did not receive health benefits for his part-time work as the Mountainside construction and fire code official.
McGrath, who records show made a total of $113,057 last year in the two jobs, also said he did not get the additional job in order to qualify for a second pension. As a public employee, his enrollment was mandatory under state law, he said.
He said he needs the extra job to make ends meet, and he makes sure his full-time Cranford job is the priority.
"If I get a working fire, I don't go into my part-time job," McGrath said. "I have a good reputation on both of my jobs. You need to go after the people who are scheming the system with no-show jobs, not the people who are working hard and who put their time in at work."
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Exactly leon.
Posted by: appalled on Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:53 am
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I don't have a problem with someone working two jobs for the same municipality but the simple solution regarding double health care and double pensions is to limit the person to only one pension and the better of the two health care plans if there is a difference.
Posted by: LeonS on Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:45 am
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I sugeest the Deputy Mayor of Cranford check his facts before he makes a statement. He claims that if an employee has two benefit plans, the doctor can only collect fom one. That may be true for the State Health Plan, if an employee has two state health plans; but if the employee is covered by another health plan, other than the SHBP, Mr. Puhak's statement is wrong. One insurance (held the longest) is primary, and the other is secondary or suplemental to the primary.
Posted by: truthbetold on Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:34 am |
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