Rizzo Makes Stunning DROP Admission

PHILADELPHIA - It was a stunning admission Thursday from a Philadelphia City Council member who is ready to accept a big payout from the Deferred Retirement Option Plan but stay on the job.

You know about DROP. City workers sign up and set a retirement date up to four years in the future. Their pension account is frozen, and deposited in a guaranteed interest-bearing account. When they retire, they get that money in a lump sum payment and, then, their full pensions.

A Boston College study shows the program may be costing Philadelphia more than $22 million dollars a year. What's more, some elected officials and higher-ups are collecting the pay out and then returning to work.

Fox 29 Political Reporter Bruce Gordon reported that Councilman Frank Rizzo may have said more than he wanted to Thursday.

Rizzo is a Republican at-large councilman, meaning he runs citywide, not just in a single district. He's been in office since 1996, and is eligible for a DROP check of nearly $200,000.

Some council members have claimed they signed up for drop with the full expectation of retiring but changed their mind.

However, read carefully what Rizzo had to say when Gordon talked with him after Thursday's weekly council session and asked whether he thought DROP might be an issue in his reelection campaign.

"Well, it's obviously an issue, but I think it can be explained. One issue cannot diminish the good work of a political candidate," Rizzo said.

"And how do you explain DROP? When someone asks you, how do you explain your participation and your desire to run again?" Gordon asked.

"I explain that I had two city solicitors' opinion, never planned to retire," Rizzo said. "I enrolled in a program that was available to me, with legal guidance, and that's why I entered the DROP program. Two learned lawyers said that I could enter the DROP program and run for reelection – simple as that."

Did you catch that? Gordon admitted that he didn't when Rizzo said that he, as a DROP participant, "never planned to retire."

The whole idea behind DROP was that you promise to retire.

When Gordon reached out to Republican at-large council candidate David Oh on Thursday, Oh said he opposes the DROP program, but he was not prepared to call for Rizzo to retire.

Why would Oh hesitate to criticize Rizzo? Perhaps because this is not a district race pitting candidate against candidate, Gordon reported. In the Republican at-large contest, Oh and Rizzo could very easily end up as the two GOP winners come November.

Gordon reported that some council members – whether it's because they genuinely feel remorse over how they've handled the DROP issue or because they know the voters in their district, their constituents, are particularly angry – they handle their answers one way. Others who perhaps feel a little safer in their reelection efforts don't seem to be too worried about how they answer the question.

Do you want your city leaders to know what you think about DROP? You can find all of their contact information by clicking here .