Suit aims to keep Rizzo, Tasco from re-election to council

A Republican committeeman is filing suit in an attempt to knock out the last two members of Philadelphia City Council still enrolled in the city’s early retirement incentive program.

Republican Committeeman Matt Wolfe, an attorney, said council members Frank Rizzo and Marian Tasco are ineligible for re-election because they have entered the Deferred Retirement Option Program, better known as DROP.

“The DROP ordinance specifically states that someone who enters the DROP program must make an irrevocable commitment to separate from city service and retire, period,” Wolfe said.

Rizzo said he believes the suit will be thrown out in court.

“There’s no basis for this lawsuit and many learned lawyers have indicated that, so I’m not overly concerned about it.”

Wolfe contended the city solicitors who have ruled in favor of DROP had a vested interest.

“When the city solicitor came up with this tortured opinion saying that somebody can resign for a day and be ‘rehired’ when they took office again, that was either wrong or  it’s evidence of pandering to city council,” Wolfe.

Testimony is expected to be heard in the case within a week or two.