Do it. Retiring by the age of 60 is still an incredibly generous part of the benefit package for public employees.
The bill by Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, and Rep. Mary Felzkowski, R-Irma, would allow retired teachers or other former employees participating in the Wisconsin Retirement System to be rehired and work full-time for a WRS employer for up to three years and still collect their pension payments.
But the bill comes with a catch that its authors argue would account for the change and ensure the continued integrity of the Wisconsin Retirement System: Raising the minimum retirement age at which a participant may begin collecting benefits from 55 to 59½. The change would only affect employees under the age of 40 at the time the bill becomes law, and would also exclude protective service occupations, such as police officers and firefighters.
Uh-huh
Should be 65.
“Peggy Wirtz-Olsen, vice president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council, which represents public education employees, criticized the bill authors’ decision to exempt protective service employees…”
As it should. We’re not served well by having 60 or 65 year old police officers rolling around with drunks, or older firefighters climbing ladders with air packs on their backs.