Lawsuit filed over Councilman Rizzo's DROP participation
Republican ward leader Matthew Wolfe said he had filed his petition to knock Councilman Frank Rizzo off the May 17 ballot over his participation in the city's DROP pension program.
The city's DROP pension program continues to hit at candidates from all sides.
This afternoon, Republican ward leader Matthew Wolfe said he had filed his petition to knock Councilman Frank Rizzo off the May 17 ballot over his participation in the Deferred Option Retirement Plan, or DROP.
DROP requires participants to retire in exchange for receiving a large, lump-sum pension payment, but Rizzo and other elected officials have used a legal loophole that allows them to collect the money, run for reelection, retire for a day and keep return to work.
Rizzo was not immediately available for comment. Earlier this week, Councilman Frank DiCicco said he would not run again, largely because his participation in DROP had become too controversial with voters. He also faced the likely expense of a ballot challenge of the same type that Wolfe filed against Rizzo, a Republican.
Wolfe's ballot challenge contends that Rizzo is not eligible to run because DROP requires participants to retire.
In addition to Rizzo, Council Majority Leader Marian B. Tasco is the only other council member enrolled in the program who is running again. Register of Wills Ronald Donatucci and City Commissioner Marge Tartaglione also are enrolled in DROP and on the ballot. They were not immediately available for comment.
DROP also played a role in retirement decisions from Council President Anna Verna and members Jack Kelly, Joan Krajewski and Donna Reed Miller.
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