Legislator chides state on pension decision

Jefferson County Legislator Michael W. Behling brought a little passion to an otherwise uneventful county Board of Legislators committee meeting on Valentine’s Day.

“I just want to state that I think the state is wrong,” Mr. Behling, R-Adams, said in response to a state official’s decision to revoke pension credits from 12 employees of a development organization in Jefferson County. “It makes common sense to treat your employees right, and the state is not doing that.”

Mr. Behling’s comments were met with applause from Legislature Chairwoman Carolyn D. Fitzpatrick, R-Watertown, and Legislator Robert D. Ferris, R-Watertown. Legislator Barry M. Ormsby, R-Belleville, the Planning and Development Committee’s chairman, also chimed in to approve.

“I think the retro portion of this is not much short of criminal,” Mr. Ormsby said.

Last week, the office of state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced that 12 employees of various nonprofit organizations in Jefferson County called local development corporations, or LDCs, were not eligible to be part of the state’s retirement system. The years they had accrued — in one case, more than 17 — were taken away.

The LDCs were created by the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency, a state authority. IDA employees can be eligible for retirement benefits, and officials at the JCIDA have argued the 12 employees were eligible for benefits because they were actually IDA employees.

The state comptroller disagrees. The JCIDA is holding a meeting at 8 a.m. today at the Jefferson County Job Development Corp.’s office, 800 Starbuck Ave., to deliberate. Individuals can appeal the ruling.

“I just want those employees to know that I’m behind them,” Mr. Behling said.

In other business Tuesday night, the General Services Committee recommended selling a footbridge to the village of Philadelphia for $1. The bridge was part of the old Route 11 and was of no further use to the county.

It will serve an important purpose for the village, which received a $351,000 state grant to turn a little-used island on the Indian River into a park. The footbridge connects the island to the mainland.

“It’s a good deal for us and it’s a good deal for the village of Philadelphia,” said Legislator Allen T. Drake, D-Theresa.