Employee Retirement System error costs around $12 million

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A $12 million dollar mistake in the Employee Retirement System (ERS) impacts some Milwaukee County workers.

At least 200 county workers were allowed to purchase time toward extending their retirement pensions, even though a unanimous vote by the County Board stopped the buy-back program back in 2007.

"I found out two weeks ago. I'm going to work to recover every dime and I want to find out how this happened," said Milwaukee County Executive, Chris Abele.

The major error was noticed by ERS two weeks ago when a county worker began his retirement process.

"The department gave incorrect information to county employees," said Abele.

Letters are going out to retirees or current employees who are impacted.

"It looks like, in the last five years, in the ballpark of about $12 million we have paid beyond what we need to," said Abele.

It's still unclear who had the responsibility of overseeing the issue. The current ERS director has only held the position since 2011. The county has also changed legal representation and many supervisors since then.

"The main thing, we have to have an Executive Branch that does what they were told to do: administer the policies the County Board has put into place," said Abele.

Abele says he doesn't think it's the fault of employees or retirees who were receiving something.

"They didn't design this program, but it's also not the fault of taxpayers," said Abele.

Abele says the county will likely recover the funds of those who have been collecting these extra benefits by adjusting retirees existing pension payments.