COLUMBIA, S.C. — After Columbia Housing Authority Executive Director Gilbert Walker announced his retirement Thursday, many of you had questions.
In Facebook comments, some viewers asked about Walker's retirement and if he would receive pension payments.
First, because of the organizational structure of the Columbia Housing Authority as an agency, it had to be determined what benefits Walker was eligible for: local, state, or federal.
WLTX learned Friday that Walker receives full South Carolina state benefits.
In the South Carolina Retirement System Member Handbook, it says employees of state agencies, public and charter school districts, higher education institutions and other local subdivisions of government are eligible.
A person retiring after 40 years of service and making more than $111,000 a year would be eligible for a retirement payment of $6,673 a month, according to a table in the handbook.
The table breaks down monthly benefit approximations of employees choosing state Option A. There are two other options available.
Also, employees in that same bracket with more than 40 years of service would receive an additional $167 a month for each year past 40. Walker started his employment with the Columbia housing authority in the late 1960s, and took over as executive director in 2000.
He currently makes $167,262.84 for this fiscal year, which ends June 30, the same day his retirement goes into effect.
Funding for the executive director's salary comes from specific federal funding under the Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to the Columbia Housing Authority.
The calculation is based on occupancy and is placed under the 'Central Office Cost Center' budget line item. The amount is subject to change each time it is reviewed, but Housing Authority staff say it has not changed recently.
The Columbia Housing Authority Board has the authority to pay Walker's salary and handles oversight of his employment.
OUR PROBE:
In our investigation, we've uncovered previous maintenance problems in the units at Allen Benedict Court, that showed there were concerns about the units well before January 17th. We have a mountain of documents related to the case, as well as interviews with residents, and we continue to present new information each day.
You can see more into our probe below:
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LAWSUITS:
There have also been multiple lawsuits filed in connection to the case. You can see our coverage of those below.