Thought I’d go ahead and pass this on, since some of y’all expressed a lot of interest in the story earlier:
Randy Scott has been rehired as Columbia’s police chief.
Scott retired Jan. 1 to take advantage of changes in the state’s retirement system. He had to stay retired for 15 days, then reapply for his job under the state’s retirement rules.
He will return to work Wednesday, which is the first day he is eligible to return to work.
The city said Scott was one of two applicants for the job, according to a news release, though it did not say who the other applicant was. The chief’s vacancy was posted on a city website.
Scott will be paid $112,200, the same salary he earned prior to his retirement.
That was from The State. WLTX has much the same story, with one or two different details.
Personally, I’m glad the chief is back on the job, as bizarre as the whole retiring and getting rehired thing is. And I look forward to seeing a more complete story, answering questions not addressed above.
I know there are other opinions out there…
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Congratulations Columbia, you’ll have two retirees who will hold top offices for the next 20 years.
When Captain Santiago, the interim Chief, went to the FBI academy classes it was pretty obvious.
Then again it was really never in question.
Can someone justify why these retirement rules were enacted in the first place? What problem were they trying to solve?
This crap doesn’t happen in the real world.
It was first implemented as a stopgap for teachers I believe.
They were losing alot of teachers to retirement so they came up with this to keep them in the system. Its gotten abused heavily over the years though. That’s why they finally put a stop to it.
Despicable. And why every local government is going to be bankrupt in 25 years. Rehired at his same salary? No; that is a lie. That is on the Columbia City Council. The “city” may pay the same, but the city’s taxpayers will pay much, much more to rehire this guy.
As a SC taxpayer I’m appalled. As a resident of the city I want the best guy in the job. I think at the moment that is Chief Scott.
Who are you going to hold accountable though? Steve Gantt is gone now and he made the hire.
I hope they do hold their positions for a good long time! Good guys!
You never did answer my question of how you’d feel if this happened at a law firm you were employed with and it was the managing partner who decided to retire and return at his old position. Would you be happy about having to wait years to move up the chain?
I know two fire department captains who have moved on to another city because they said they won’t play the good ol’ boy system we have here in Columbia. That and to make more money than they would have by staying.
But who was the other applicant?
In other news, the sun came up today.
Has anyone ever figured out how he served 25 years yet? Did he start with the police force at the age of 19?
“You never did answer my question of how you’d feel if this happened at a law firm you were employed with and it was the managing partner who decided to retire and return at his old position. Would you be happy about having to wait years to move up the chain?”
The private utility I work for allows people that are still on the traditional retirement system to retire and be rehired. When they get rehired it is as a contractor though. In the end they make an butt ton more as salary but lose their benefits. Of course those are still picked up as a part their retiree program.
The reason why they get back is because they have a license and it takes a decade to replace them minimum. You just cant go off the street and replace them.
Of course they ended the traditional retirement about 10 years ago. The people who didn’t get grandfathered in have a 401k like everyone else. Private companies cant carry unfunded pensions like they use to.
BTW legislatures can still do their ridiculous good deal I think though, so rest assured their will still be a line around the trough.
That question was posted to Kathryn who doesn’t have a problem with the Fire Chief or Chief of Police being hired back in their leadership positions. She’s ignored it.
It is disconcerting to hear Kathryn continue to frame this as a keeping good people issue. An appropriate governance system is a more important component of civic progress. For each one good person “saved”, hundreds more have simply gorged at the public trough.
Symbolism matters. These “leaders” send the message to their departments that rules are meant to be bent when beneficial to oneself. Perpetuation of corruption is really the most corrosive kind. However, City Council is ultimately responsible – all of them.
Interestingly, this situation is probably yet another good reason for a strong mayor structure.