The Jersey City Independent "

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At a meeting of the Jersey City Employees Retirement System (ERS) board this morning, health department official Joseph Castagna’s request to receive early retirement benefits was approved.

Castagna, who was arrested on federal corruption charges in July, put in a request to retire after it was revealed that he is under investigation by the Jersey City Police Department for allegedly issuing more food vendor permits than the law allows.

Given that Castagna has not been formally charged, assistant business administrator Bob Kakoleski felt that the board “should only consider the facts as they are today.” City staffer Ben Bruno and chief financial officer Donna Mauer, the other two commissioners present, agreed when they voted in favor of the request along with Kakoleski. Business administrator Brian O’Reilly recused himself from the vote because he has overseen disciplinary action brought by the city against Castagna in connection with his federal arrest. Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who is also a voting commissioner of the board, was not present at the meeting.

The commission agreed that their decision is subject to revision if Castagna is convicted of misusing his position in City Hall. As Bernie Hartnett, the independent attorney for the ERS, put it, the retirement benefit is “expressly conditioned on the rendering of honorable service” to the city.

According to city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill, Castagna’s pension is more than $60,000 per year and he will receive a one-time payment of $84,414 for unused vacation and for 80 percent of unused sick time. Any future adjustments to Castagna’s benefit would impact only what he accrued after the date of his first criminal act.