Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:12:48 -0500
From: John R Dykers
Subject: State Auditor’s accusation of fraud by Chatham County
I think this is a fascinating story. When I first heard it this seemed like a great “catch” by an astute State Auditor and it may be fraud of the first order against the taxpayer of North Carolina, of which I am one. On second reading, at least for this one individual, he had worked for 26 years planning toward a 30 year retirement benefit package.
(It is a separate question as to the appropriate value of the benefit package compared to the rest of us.) The organizational arrangement had been in place for 100 years! I have no idea why the NCHSAA and UNC terminated their association with each other. The NCHSAA continued to pay Rick Strunk’s salary, as I understand it, at no cost to the Chatham County Schools or the State of North Carolina, and I wonder how much it would have cost to buy him an annuity to make up the difference between his retirement benefits with 26 years of service rather than 30 years. If the motivation was an effort to be fair to Mr. Strunk, that might have been a wiser way and also fair to the taxpayers. I’ll bet the legal fees will far exceed the pension’s value!
John Dykers