Tallmadge Schools' treasurer seeks retire, rehire

by HOLLY SCHOENSTEIN  |  REPORTER

Tallmadge — Tallmadge City Schools Treasurer Jeff Hostetler is asking
the Board of Education to allow him to retire as of Dec. 31, 2012, and
then be rehired to work on a contractual basis starting Jan. 1, 2013.

During a meeting tonight [Nov. 28], the Board authorized Hostetler to place a
notice in the Tallmadge Express, a requirement of Ohio law that
ensures the public is informed that the Board will have a public
meeting about the proposed re-employment at 6 p.m. Dec. 11 in the
Community Room at Tallmadge High School.  The Board hasn't taken
further action on his proposal during the public portion of the
meeting.

Hostetler first notified the Board in August that he'd like to
technically retire from the School Employees Retirement System of Ohio
and then be rehired. He says that his retirement depends on whether
the Board rehires him.

Hostetler said the recent changes to the SERS didn’t prompt him to
make the proposal, and he's not interested in retiring in the
traditional sense.

“Effective December 31, 2012, I will have 30 years of service credit
and am eligible to retire,” he said. “It has been my goal that once I
am eligible to retire that I start drawing the pension which I have
paid into for the past 30 years. The rules of SERS give me that
option.”

Hostetler’s contract expires July 31, 2015. If the Board authorizes
his proposal, a new contract will replace it.

The Board is discussing the terms of a possible new contract,
including salary and benefits, in an Executive Session tonight. If the
Board allows him to be rehired into his job, his new contract will be
made available to the public, he says.

“I will continue to work as the treasurer of Tallmadge City Schools
with no interruption of service. There is no downside for the Board;
in fact, this process actually has the potential to save the district
money,” he says
.
Hostetler has worked as treasurer for the school district since 2004.

He makes an annual salary of $95,352 per year.

Email: hschoenstein@recordpub.com Phone: 330-541-9428