Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

Left city job in ‘01, joined county

Brace

WILKES-BARRE – Bill Brace is retiring again – this time from his $56,649.98 job as Luzerne County deputy chief clerk.
But he has a new job.
Brace was recently appointed local registrar with the state Department of Vital Statistics, department spokeswoman Holli Senior said. He replaces the late Phil McCabe, a former Wilkes-Barre city councilman.
Brace, 63, retired in 2001 as Wilkes-Barre city clerk/administrator with a $42,000 annual pension after working for the city for three decades. Seventeen days later, he was named deputy to county Clerk of Courts Bob Reilly.
Brace said he will retire from his county job within a couple of weeks. To qualify for the recently announced early-retirement offer, Brace will use his accrued time, said Doug Richards, county human resources director.
“A date for his last day at the county has not been determined, but his accrued time will be used through the end of 2008,” Richards said. The accrued time includes vacation, personal and sick benefits, Richards said.
Brace said he can earn up to $60,000 per year in his new position, which mainly consists of issuing birth certificates and death certificates. He was appointed by Calvin B. Johnson, M.D., secretary of the state Department of Health and is one of six registrars in the county.
He said he will be paid per document issued, and must pay all expenses out of his compensation. He plans to have an office in Wilkes-Barre City Hall.
Brace collects a city pension of roughly $42,000, or 60 percent of his highest two-year average salary of $70,000. The city retirees receive full health-care coverage until death.
The amount of Brace’s county pension has not been determined, Richards said.
“This is definitely an opportunity for me as I approach full retirement,” Brace said. “I’m leaving the county because this is a good opportunity for me. I’ve enjoyed my time at the county and working with the commissioners.”
Brace said he was planning to retire from the county at the end of this year but decided to leave early when the state post became available.
County Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla praised Brace for his service.
“It was one of my biggest fears when we offered early retirement, that we would lose people who have been key to the county operation for years,” she said. “For Bill to have this opportunity from the state is perfect timing for him. I hate to see him go and can’t blame him for accepting it.”
Petrilla said the county will go through the standard process in seeking a replacement for Brace, advertising the job in-house and publicly.
“We will keep it a very open process and select the most qualified person for the job,” she said.
Petrilla said Brace was one of the best public servants she has known.
“I wish him the best and thank him for his service over the years,” Petrilla said. “He always has stepped to the plate no matter what the situation has been. We’ve had some troubling times in the county and Bill has been a great friend and a great public servant.”
The county Retirement Board voted June 19 to ratify an early-retirement incentive that had been adopted by county commissioners. The incentive, which will be offered to 368 employees, would increase pension payments by upping service years by 30 percent. For example, an employee with 20 years of service would receive an additional six years of service. The county commissioners, treasurer and controller sit on the retirement board.
Brace ran for Luzerne County controller in the May 1997 primary. He drew about 14,000 Democratic votes, but lost to Tom Pizano, who received 16,000 votes.
Brace was first hired by the city in 1971 by Mayor John Morris and went on to serve six more administrators – John McGlynn, Con (Firpo) Salwoski, Walter Lisman, Tom McLaughlin, Lee Namey and Tom McGroarty.