Currently 12 Lehigh Acres Fire Firefighters making over $100,000 which includes pay and all benefits. These 12 employees are already retired under the Florida Retirement System but are working under the FRS DROP program.
The Florida Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) provides an alternative method for payment of the employees retirement benefits for a specified and limited period (5 years).
Under this program, the employee stops earning service credit toward a future benefit, the employees retirement benefit calculated at the time the DROP period begins and their monthly retirement benefits accumulate in the FRS Trust Fund earning interest while the employee continue to work for an FRS employer.
The Fire District still has to pay into their FRS account but a reduce rate. But upon termination, the employees DROP account is paid to you as a lump sum payment, a rollover or a combination partial lump sum payment and rollover.
This means these 12 LAFD employees are double dripping your tax dollars for up to 5 years and padding their retirement account with your tax dollars.
If these 12 vested employees where to leave to district today the fire district could save 21 to 23 other firefighter jobs because the Chief John Wayne has stated for the record the beginning pay for a LAFD firefighter is $38,000 a year. According to the Chief Wayne it’s just simple third grade math.
So will these 12 vested employees retire to help save other jobs?
Why hasn’t the Fire Commissioners even talked about this cost saving in a meeting?
12 vested employees can retire and save 23 employees that will be lay off, what’s wrong with that?
Lehigh Acres Gazette Web Team
Wrong……….vote NO
The Board should retire the 12 men to save 23 other men so what’s more important laying off 46 men that’s crap.
Lehigh Acres Web Team
I don’t know where the chief gets his 3rd grade math from but $13,000,000 divided by 108= $114,000 Per man
There are a number of Volunteer Firemen in places like New York.
My husband was one of them.
They are extreemly dedicated and are not payed a penny , yet as soon as the alarm goes off and they are available they rush to help their citizens .
My hats off for them
I do not have pity for these 12 men.
Let them reire. We all do when our time comes. They will not get my vote.
These men and women deserve these benefits they have put in 25 years serving this community. You truely need to get over your hatred, jealousy or whatever problem you have with the fire fighters of this community Not only do they give of themselves but there families also sacrafice there family life. How many holidays, birthdays ect have they missed serving there community. I will VOTE YES not just to save jobs but for the SAFETY of the community. If this doesnt pass i hope you need these men and women t save you and they are not there. Hatred will get you no where please seek professional help
Almost positive that the 12 Firefighters are not “Double Dripping” as not sure what that is. And they are certainly not “Double Dipping” as they are not receiving two checks — only their regular check from the Department. FRS established the DROP program some time ago as an incentive to encourage retirement eligible or those close to retirement eligible to select an end work date. This allows the Department to replace those senior employees when they leave with new employees earning a lot less. So these DROP employees receive no extra paychecks and the Department pays 7% less in contributions to FRS. It is strictly a win-win for the Department and Lehigh Acres. And again it is when they leave as the Department has no authority to force retirement prior to the selected date unless through lay-off.So again no “Double Dipping” and probably no “Double Dripping.”
Retire 12 men save 23 jobs simple math and the community of Lehigh Acres deserves to keep as many hired a possible.
This DROP Program allows them to pad their retirement for 5 years
Lehigh Acres Gazette Web Team
Thank you Joseph for explaining the drop program.
Is there a reason you did not print my entire comment.
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Thank you
Lehigh Acres Gazette Web Team
wonder what Marys family does for a living
Dale,
They are retirement, period, they can leave now or the board can relieve them of duty with very little recourse that’s the law.
Stop screwing with the taxpayers money and save men that are going to get layoff April 1, 2015
Lehigh Acres Gazette Web team