In this March 20, 2013 photo, Greg Hull stands near a fire engine in the fire department garage in DuPont. Hull has announced his resignation, just days after state officials notified him they were stopping his pension following a review of his “independent contractor” status with the south Pierce County city. (TED S. WARREN/AP)
DuPont Fire Chief Greg Hull has announced his resignation, just days after state officials notified him they were stopping his pension following a review of his “independent contractor” status with the south Pierce County city.
If you think firemen can’t make a lot of money, then you have not met retired Fire Chief Greg Hull. Mr. Hull is under investigation in DuPont, WA after receiving $550K in pension money. Reportedly, Hull had retired from one fire department and then began receiving his pension payments.
Shortly after his retirement he then turned around and was hired with another department. Apparently he was able to do this because the fire department hired him as an “independent contractor” rather than a regular employee. With regular employee status Hull would not have been able to continue to receive his previous pension payments.
At this time the state of Washington wants the city of DuPont to repay the money. Hull’s pension, which was estimated at 184,000 dollars, was already one of the largest in the state. In fact, Hull’s pension made up one third of the entire fire budget for the city of DuPont!
“We feel the city is responsible for that overpayment,” said Dave Nelsen, the legal and legislative services manager at the Department of Retirement Systems. It’s a substantial amount of money for the city, accounting for roughly one-third of DuPont’s annual fire department budget.
Yahoo News writes:
The retirement system began examining DuPont’s procedures after an Associated Press investigation showed how some firefighter and law enforcement workers got late pay raises that helped increase their pensions. At about $184,000 a year, Hull had one of the largest pensions in the state.
DRS officials were still reviewing details of a raise that Hull received shortly before he retired in 2010 from Lakewood Fire District 2 to determine whether that pay bump was improperly included in his pension calculations. Nelsen said Hull’s pension will also be influenced because he will have more service credits for his years working in DuPont, but he will lose cost-of-living adjustments he had received over the same period.
According to the Inquisitr at the onset of the investigation, Hull decided to resign from his current position. He is citing “personal reasons” for the resignation.
DuPont Mayor Michael Grayum noted that the loss of Hull’s pension was one of those reasons for his resignation.
“Our community is grateful to Chief Hull for the professional fire department we have today,” Grayum said.
Hull also said uncertainty with the future of his pension led to his resignation.
“I am 66 years old and I came to DuPont after retirement to assist Public Safety through a difficult transitional period,” he said. “I cannot continue to work for DuPont due to technical issues with the Department of Retirement Systems without jeopardizing my retirement.”
Investigators are also looking into a suspicious raise that Hull received in 2010 while still employed with Lakewood Fire Department District 3.
Photo of Dupont Fire Department ( courtesy Facebook)
Source:
Fire Chief Got $550K In Pension Money After Returning To Work
http://www.inquisitr.com/683353/fire-chief-got-550k-in-pension-money-after-returning-to-work/
State: Fire chief got $550K in extra pension money
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/state-fire-chief-got-550k-002911659.html
DuPont fire chief quits after pension inquiry
DuPont Fire Chief Greg Hull has announced his resignation, just days after state officials notified him they were stopping his pension following a review of his “independent contractor” status with the south Pierce County city.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/05/29/2617506/dupont-fire-chief-quits-after.html
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