Legislators, taxpayers upset by "double dipping" in Wayne County, look for ways to end it

DETROIT (WXYZ) - Is it smart policy, or an excuse to keep the same people in the same government jobs?  One thing’s for sure: double-dipping is nice work if you can get it.

“There is a perception people are going have, that’s their tax dollars being wasted again,” said Bernard Parker, a Wayne County Commissioner, who's against the controversial practice.

As we showed you last night, retiring has been one of the best decisions some Wayne County appointees’ ever made. That’s because some appointees have retired from their county jobs with lifetime health benefits, started drawing six figure pensions, and then came right back to work as “contractors.”

Take the case of Eric Smith.  He resigned from the Wayne County Executive’s office in 2006, leaving behind a$140,000 county salary.  But he came back in 2007 as a county vendor, making up to $474,000 in legal contracts in about three and a half years.

At the same time that word got out about a lucrative county retirement incentive in 2010—Smith came back to the county yet again as a full-time employee. He decided to retire six months later, and netted almost $60,000 in severance.  Smith started collecting almost $90,000 in his yearly pension, and then came out of retirement only months later: now he’s back at the county sheriff’s office working for $55 an hour.  Smith also has lifetime health benefits courtesy of the taxpayers – and access to a county car.

“It’s the kind of stuff that drives people crazy, and I think the more damaging effect is it undermines citizens trust in their government,” said Fred Miller, a Macomb County Commissioner and former state legislator.

When he worked as a state representative in Lansing, Miller tried to outlaw the practice known as double-dipping; collecting a pension from the government, while also getting paid to work.  The bill did not make it out of committee, but Miller would like someone to re-introduce it in Lansing now.

“It gives the impression that there’s this political class of well-connected insiders who do nothing but feed at the public trough,” he said.

Wayne County officials insist the process is not being abused.  They say the practice keeps experienced employees in their jobs rather than bringing in younger workers who need training.  And they say it saves money by not having to pay the benefits for the replacement workers.

“I realize how some people don’t like it, but in the long term it’s serving the police agency and the citizens better,” said Sheriff Benny Napoleon.

The practice of double-dipping has been outlawed in some states, but there’s no sign that Michigan legislators will take up the issue.  Wayne County Commissioner Bernard Parker and others say they should.

“There’s no reason why someone should get two check from Wayne county for doing a job they were doing before for one check,” he said.

“When someone wants to retire, let them retire and let’s let someone come in there and take their place.”

If you know of an example of government double-dipping that you think we should investigate, e-mail us at tips@wxyz.com or call us at (248) 827-9466.