The 2008 Executive Board was sworn in at
the Board of Directors meeting held in
February and is as follows:
Terry Gallagher, Executive Director
Jeff Pedicino, Executive Secretary
Gary Jesser, Treasurer
Dave Spagnolo, Financial Secretary
Walter Gould, Director of Organization
Brian Johnston, Recording Secretary
Ronald Campbell, Sergeant at Arms
James Thompson, Pat Coleman and Joe
Stockstill, Trustees
The Executive Board is eager to work hard
on behalf of members and to continue to make
this organization excel in the quality of
service we provide to our membership. We are
also excited about benefit programs we have
planned to offer to our members.
Never before have so many citizens shown
interest and concern in the outcome of the
Presidential election process. Like anyone
else I listen to what they all have to say,
Republican and Democrat, about issues that I
feel are important to me personally. We
should all be concerned about what a
candidate has to say concerning law
enforcement and union issues that have a
direct bearing on the welfare of our
members. Homeland Security starts with
hometown security and means that the Federal
Government should assist in funding our
local, county and state law enforcement
agencies to assure that they will be
sufficiently manned, equipped and properly
trained for any emergency situation.
New York and New Orleans emergency
services were hampered with poor radio
communications that hampered their efforts
and cost lives with their disasters. Today
NYPD has fewer officers than they did on
9/11. Most departments are still undermanned
and threats of layoffs of police still
plague communities with financial woes.
Nationwide law enforcement and fire
departments still have not updated their
equipment, training and are unprepared to
deal with a major disaster.
Pensions are being reduced due to
healthcare costs and full social security
benefits are still not available to public
servants. Where does your favorite candidate
stand on these issues? The OPBA does not
give a Presidential endorsement. However,
NAPO will endorse a candidate only in the
general election based on this and other
important information. Personal issues and
views are important to each of us but we
must give some consideration to issues that
affect our chosen law enforcement careers,
retirement and consider the alternative.
Please see NAPO
News for more information.
Our OPBA Golf Outing is scheduled for
Wednesday July 16, 2008 and will again be
held at the Mallard Creek Golf Course. The
Executive Board has voted to increase the
price of the outing to $75.00 per golfer
this year and profits will be placed into a
newly formed charitable fund for our
members. Most will agree that our outing has
always been one of the most popular. We
expect to sell out quickly again so we are
offering tee times to our members first. We
can only schedule 330 golfers. Don’t miss
out!
Keep an ear out for information on an
OPBA day at a Cleveland Indians game being
scheduled. We will also attempt to schedule
an event near Columbus and Toledo for our
membership. Details to follow.
We are offering training seminars for
department directors, alternates and
stewards to be held in Twinsburg on April
4th, Columbus on April 11th and Perrysburg
on April 18th. See ad in this magazine for
additional information.
IMPORTANT NEW TAX INFO FOR RETIREES
The IRS recently released on its web site
new tax forms, instructions and publications
for the 2007 tax year. Of interest to all
government plans with public safety members
are the changes to line 16 on Form 1040.
The new law has resulted in the ability
of retired public safety officers to exclude
from gross income taxes up to $3,000 for
qualified health insurance premiums. This
means that if you contribute to health care
premiums, up to $3,000 is deductible.
Beginning with the 2007 tax year, retired
public safety officers should report their
total pension distributions on line 16a on
Form 1040. Assuming that an officer
qualifies for the insurance premium
exclusion, the $3,000 exclusion should be
recognized in line 16b of Form 1040, when
the public safety officer should write the
initials “PSO” next to the taxable amount
received.
Message From
the Executive Director