Sheriff Jim Hammond said Friday that a meeting with top county officials on the Bridge Plan retirement program for sheriff officers was "very productive."
Sheriff Hammond, along with members of his Command Staff, met with County Mayor Jim Coppinger, members of the county mayor’s staff, representatives from CTAS, TCRS, Hamilton County’s legal and finance departments, and Hamilton County Commission Chairman Jim Fields to discuss the Bridge Plan in detail.
The program lets sheriff officers retire at age 55 with the county paying their benefits until they reach 62.
County Mayor Coppinger has said he is concerned that its costs could skyrocket. Sheriff Hammond said he believes it will bring a savings because younger officers at lower salaries will be hired.
After the meeting, Sheriff Hammond stated, “I believe the discussions today were very productive and I felt this meeting was a real breakthrough in negotiations…which have been taking place for several years. Mayor Coppinger has assured me that he will ask the County Commission to fund an actuarial study to determine the full cost of the program now and for the future and how it will truly affect our law enforcement employees.”
Sheriff Hammond said he and his staff will immediately begin to poll eligible HCSO employees to determine exactly who will take advantage of the Bridge Plan.
“As we move forward,” noted Sheriff Hammond, “I want to make sure our employees fully understand all the components of this plan as it relates to their true eligibility, retirement ages, dates, and especially the medical piece of the plan.”
Accordingly, HCSO Command Staff, including Captain Bill Johnson, Captain Lynn Triplett, Captain Charles Lowery and Captain Ron Parson, will begin to present Power Point presentations to their staff members in the near future.
Sheriff Hammond further stated, “I want to give special recognition to retired supervisors Captain Lenda Clark and Detective Sergeant David Rodery, as well as Captain Bill Johnson and Captain Lynn Triplett, for the enormous amount of work and effort they have invested into bringing the Bridge Plan to where it is today. I can assure you we will not have to wait another year for a decision on this. I am positive this plan will be brought to a vote soon after the study.”