Bill package targets state pension abuses

A wide-ranging package of reforms aimed at cracking down

on lawyers listed improperly as school district employees and at limiting

double-dipping by retired administrators is being introduced in the State

Senate, Sen. Majority Leader Joseph Bruno announced yesterday.

The proposals, which are combined in the "Taxpayer Empowerment and

Accountability Plan," specifically address public pension abuses uncovered by

Newsday. Two other key components of the package would bar school board

attorneys from doing personal legal work for superintendents whose districts

they represent and would require school districts to post online all

information related to payrolls, pension benefits and administrators' contracts.

"Taxpayers need and deserve relief, and this is a good place to start,"

Bruno, a Republican, said in a statement.

State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, whose office is investigating pension

abuses statewide, is working with legislators and has said that he expects

legislation to be passed before the session ends June 23.

"I believe we'll come up with a legislative solution this session because

sometimes enough is enough," Cuomo said at a press conference in Albany last

week.

Cuomo's involvement is seen as critical because he has had success working

with legislators in the past.

Several Assembly members said they also expect at least some of the reforms

to pass by the end of the session. "We are all focused on working to address

these issues," said Dan Weiller, press secretary to Assembly Speaker Sheldon

Silver, who is a Democrat.

Negotiations between the Senate and Assembly are currently under way,

observers said.

"Negotiations have been going on fairly continuously for 10 days, two

weeks," said Tom Dunham, spokesman for Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre),

who is also deputy majority leader. "We're making progress, but it's a fairly

complicated issue."

School administrators' pay has been in the spotlight in recent months after

Newsday reported that at least 40 central office administrators had retired

and been rehired, collecting both a pension and a salary from taxpayers. In

many cases, they were collecting six-figure salaries on top of their pensions,

earning a total of nearly $11 million a year.

In addition, Newsday reported that at least 23 Long Island school

districts, or one in five, improperly reported school board attorneys as

employees, helping them to secure lucrative public pensions and lifetime health

benefits.

Thomas Shea, president-elect of the Suffolk County Superintendents

Association, said he thought the proposed reforms were reasonable.

"They're a reaction to concerns that have been raised, and the concerns

need to be addressed," he said. "We can fall back on technical language, but we

need to do what's right for the taxpayers."

LIMIT THE DOUBLE DIP

Require school districts to post online payrolls, pension benefits and

administrators' contracts.

Curtail waivers granted to retired administrators who are rehired and

require public notice when a retired superintendent is hired.

Prohibit lawyers from being listed as employees to get state benefits.

Require the state to fund the cost of new requirements imposed on school

districts.

Bar school board attorneys from representing superintendents and their

spouses who are employed by a district in their personal contract negotiations

or legal work.