Wyoming ties retirement to saving jobs

By Patrick Revere
The Grand Rapids Press

WYOMING -- Hoping to save jobs, the City Council unanimously adopted early retirement incentives for employees who volunteer.

"There are 53 individuals in our city who are currently eligible for retirement," City Manager Curtis Holt said, adding that 23 work in departments supported by the general fund.

The senior employees, who generally earn the highest wages, can retire early with full benefits and collect a $20,000 payment.

Holt said the plan will save money because new employees would be hired at lower pay. Wyoming is trying to avoid as many layoffs as possible after voters rejected a 1.5-mill tax increase Aug. 3.

The Fire Department stands to lose seven firefighters, along with closing the Gezon Fire Station on the southwest side. Police could lose as many as 13 officers, four sergeants, a crime-scene technician, a crime analyst and a detective.

Councilman William VerHulst said he initially was put off by the retirement incentives because he thought it would take too long.

"I now know that the fire and police (layoffs) will move forward, and this could save some jobs," he said.

The council also voted to approve a retirement benefit for police command staff.

If an employee can tell the city when a retirement is planned within the next five years, the pension benefits become fixed and any further payments would be available in cash when the worker leaves.

"We'll have the opportunity to look at it in four years to make sure it's not costing us more than we expected," Holt said.

Meanwhile, some residents ripped city officials for the handling of a separate Fire Department millage in the recent election.

The millage passed but it won't take effect because it was tied to approval of the other millage, which failed.

"Under your leadership extravagant buildings have been built when we could have had the same space for much less," Ruth Postema of Pinnacle Drive SW said.

"We spend thousands of dollars on bottled water nobody cares about. I could go on and on."

About 30 percent of Wyoming voters participated Aug. 3. Holt said about 100 residents attended 15 budget forums leading up to election day.

"Clearly the problem is with the voters, not the public officials," Paul McGuire of Berkley Avenue SW said.

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