When things go wrong, they really do go wrong in Wayne County government, which has come under intense scrutiny for various reasons.
The latest: The Detroit News reports that Wayne County pension officials are investigating whether Executive Robert Ficano's lucrative pension plan for employees violated IRS rules.
Some employees, as a result, may have to repay the system.
News reporters Christine MacDonald and Mike Wiklinson report:
Pension officials have retained a law firm to investigate whether some deals violated Internal Revenue Service rules limiting annual payouts, contributions to pensions and the purchase of service time.
The investigation is probing several years of pensions, including an early retirement plan Ficano offered to employees last year.
It waived an age limit of 55 for retirees and allowed them to buy — at a discount — as many as six of 20 years to qualify for a pension. IRS rules appear to limit purchasing time to five years, said pension board members Patrick Melton and Hugh MacDonald.
