Ohio bill would make controversial ‘double dipping’ illegal

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - The practice of retiring, collecting a state pension and then going back to work and collecting a paycheck at the same time has been going on for decades in Ohio and is known as “double dipping.”

“Receiving a corporate pension while remaining on the employee payroll is virtually unheard of in the private sector,” according to State Representative John Becker who is the sponsor of House Bill 708 (HB 708).

The bill is being called “Double Dippers Inappropriately Privileged (D.D.I.P.),” and it’s designed to stop any public sector employee from collecting from the state pension plan -- known as Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) -- and also collecting a paycheck from a taxpayer funded budget.

“Double-dipping is a privilege virtually unique to the government sector. Taxpayers are the losers by having to prop up the state retirement systems,” Becker said in a report from the Ohio Legislature.

City of Cleveland employees have been among the most opportunistic double dippers, especially at the highest levels.

All three former Cleveland police chiefs have retired, and were then rehired by Mayor Frank Jackson within days, enabling them to collect pensions and stay on the city’s payroll.

Police Chief Calvin Williams is the latest to do so, when he “retired” two weeks ago, and two days later was rehired by the mayor.

That means Williams can begin collecting his state pension, and will continue to be paid his $130,575 annual salary.

HB 708 is waiting to be assigned to a committee.

There is no timetable to getting a vote on the bill at this time.

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