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Retired Attleboro firefighter urges special legislation to restore lost pension credit after audit adjustment
Summary
Walter Gertin testified the Attleboro retirement board and city support special legislation to restore nearly three years of credited service removed by audit, which reduced his monthly pension by $529; advocates say the retirement board acknowledges the error and supports corrective legislation (SB1859/HB2861).
Walter Gertin, a retired Attleboro firefighter, asked the Joint Committee on Public Service to approve special legislation (Senate Bill 18‑59 / House Bill 28‑61) to restore retirement credit that an audit removed years after his 2017 retirement.
Gertin testified he retired in November 2017 after 32 years and that an October audit later reduced his credited call‑firefighter time by two years and 11 months, cutting his monthly pension by $529 and costing an estimated more than $6,500 a year. He and union and municipal advocates said he had been receiving the higher payment, which later stopped when the audit adjustment was applied, and that local attempts to correct the calculation and administrative appeals were exhausted.
Paul Jacques, legislative agent for the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, said the Attleboro retirement board supports special legislation filed at the request of the board and that the bill has passed the Senate and reached third reading in the House in prior sessions but did not become law. Local leaders and union representatives asked the committee to report the bill favorably so the retirement board’s earlier calculation would be restored by statute.
Witnesses said written testimony from the city, retirement board and unions was submitted to the committee. Committee members did not record a vote during the hearing.
