West Pike Run Twp. supervisor found to have violated state Ethics Act
The Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission announced Friday that a West Pike Run Township supervisor violated the state Ethics Act by approving amending an employee pension plan that allowed him to receive full pension benefits before reaching normal retirement age.
Phillip Podroskey, who has served as West Pike Run Township supervisor since 2010, was found by the commission to have voted for an ordinance in 2014 revising the township general employee’s joinder pension fund. Podroskey actively participated in changing the township joinder agreement to benefit himself by including an early retirement window for which only he was eligible, the commission said.
According to the commission, Podroskey’s actions helped result in him receiving full pension benefits after retiring as full-time township roadmaster under a window allowing any plan participant who was 59 years old with five years of service who terminated employment on or before Dec. 31, 2014 to get a monthly benefit starting Jan. 1, 2015.
Podroskey, 62, was directed to pay $1,443 to the state and $500 to the state ethics commission per a consent agreement, the commission said, adding that Podroskey will not be required to forgo or divest any future disbursements received under the pension plan.
Podroskey was previously a township police officer but had retired before becoming supervisor in 2010, serving as full-time roadmaster for the township from 2010 through 2014. Podroskey had not received a pension at the time he took over as supervisor because the township police pension plan had no vesting period, according to the commission.
The Ethics Act prohibits public officials or employees from using their authority as public stewards for their own private pecuniary benefit.