City refuses to release pension information

Inweekly requested last week information on the City of Pensacola employees who have retired and later rehired – process known as “double-dipping.” The employee enters DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Program), completes the five years, retires for a month, and then is rehired. Former City Attorney Rusty Wells, who know serves as a special advisor to the city administrator, is an example. CFO Dick Barker completed DROP on 6/18/2012 and still works for the city.

We asked for a list of such employees and their annual pension payments.

Prior to Mayor Ashton Hayward’s creation of his ‘Sunshine Center,’ Inweekly and other media routinely asked for such information and received it within days. In April 2008, the public records we received became the basis for our cover story on city pensions, “Feed the Beast” – which ironically was the catalyst for Hayward’s campaign pledge to deal with city pensions two years later.

What was the city’s response to our request?

“The City of Pensacola has reviewed its files and has determined there are no responsive records or documents to your request for public records.”

Inweekly has asked the State Attorney’s Office to intervene. Stay tuned.