Sunday, February 24, 2008
YOUNGSTOWN — The city has rehired a recently retired economic development office employee for the same post she held for more than 28 years.
Kathleen Timlin-Wiley finished third among 18 who took the civil service test for the position she left Dec. 1. Everyone who took the test passed it.
Mayor Jay Williams rehired Timlin-Wiley as the economic development office’s monitor and compliance coordinator, effective Feb. 13.
She is making $21.52 an hour, but for a maximum of 24 hours a week. That works out to $26,863 annually. She will not receive any health care benefits from the city in the part-time position.
Timlin-Wiley made $21.3082 an hour last year; $44,321 in annual salary working full-time, according to the city’s finance department. Williams said her salary should have remained the same — $21.30 an hour — and that a mathematical error probably occurred that increased the pay. The mayor said the salary will be corrected.
Timlin-Wiley accepted the city’s early-retirement incentive with the city spending $29,882 to buy two years of her state Public Employees Retirement time, and received $5,329 from the city as severance for unused sick time and other accumulated time.
Williams said people could look at the rehiring as “double dipping,” but the decision is perfectly legal and the city benefits by having someone with a great deal of experience handling the job at a reduced annual pay rate and without health care benefits.
“Our costs are significantly reduced,” he said.
Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.