City Backs Away From Pension Dispute Mayor Says Officials Shouldn’t Be Involved In Mangan’s Retirement Plan

Spokane city officials shouldn’t be involved in Police Chief Terry Mangan’s dispute with the state retirement department, Mayor Jack Geraghty said Tuesday.

“That’s between the employee and the retirement system,” Geraghty said.

Mangan is fighting to get into a lucrative, taxpayer-subsidized pension plan administered by the state, called Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Retirement Plan 1. He’s currently enrolled in Plan 2.

The chief has been denied entry into Plan 1, which has better benefits, three times over the past 20 years, including twice since last August because he didn’t meet the age requirement.

Mangan, 58, claims he’s the victim of age discrimination.

The state Department of Retirement Systems is currently considering Mangan’s latest appeal.

If the chief is successful, the city would be responsible for paying most of his post-retirement medical expenses.

In a petition sent to the retirement department in January, Mangan said “the city of Spokane does not object to, and supports” his efforts to get into the plan.

In March, Assistant City Attorney Rocco Treppiedi sent a letter to the retirement department saying the city “indeed supports” Mangan’s efforts.

“This is true even if Mr. Mangan would be entitled to additional benefits at the expense of the state, the Department of Retirement Systems, and/or the city,” Treppiedi wrote.

Leah Wilson, who administers the state pension program, said such letters don’t carry much weight.

“That’s not necessarily material,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t matter how many people are on one side or the other.”

Even so, Geraghty and Councilman Orville Barnes on Tuesday objected to the wording of the letter, which neither had reviewed until a reporter read portions of it to them.

“He was not to be an advocate,” Geraghty said of Treppiedi. “He was to provide information to the (retirement department), but he was not to be an advocate.”

Barnes said Mangan’s efforts to get into the new pension program have never been discussed by the council and added he thinks the city should stay out of it.

“This should have been decided a long time ago, anyway” he said.

Efforts to reach Treppiedi for comment were unsuccessful Tuesday.

His boss, City Attorney James Sloane, said former City Manager Roger Crum instructed Treppiedi to word the letter the way he did.

“We had very clear direction from Roger Crum on that issue,” Sloane said.

Deputy City Manager Pete Fortin agreed.

“He was speaking for Roger Crum at the time,” Fortin said of Treppiedi. “I think Rocky was just trying to present the facts as he saw them.”

Crum, now working as the city manager in Evanston, Ill., could not be reached for comment.

, DataTimes