Local Retirement Incentive Approved

ITHACA, N.Y., Sept. 7 -- Tompkins County Legislature issued the following news release:

The Legislature approved a special one-time local retirement incentive to eligible employees, seeking to minimize involuntary reductions in force in 2011. The vote was 12-2, with Legislators Brian Robison and David McKenna voting no and Legislator Kathy Luz Herrera excused.

The incentive will allow employees who retire and vacate their positions between September 15, 2010 and March 31, 2011 to receive County health benefits for 24 months after retirement at the employee rate of 20% of premium, instead of at the much higher retiree contribution.

Legislator Robison said he hasn't been convinced that the incentive would have significant impact and that he sees it as simply another potential cost related to people who would have been retiring anyway.

Legislator Mike Lane questioned whether acting now would rule out the possibility of benefiting from funding toward health insurance expense for older workers that's part of the new federal health care program. Administrator Joe Mareane said the action will have no impact, and the County will be applying for those funds. Mareane said it's expected this incentive will have some effect at low cost to the County, compared to the cost of retirement incentives offered by New York State, which he said would be huge.

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