On May 20, just five days after the law was signed, the nine-member Quincy City Council unanimously voted to accept Chapter 116.

Mayor William Phalen quickly set a date of June 28 for a five-year early retirement, without any limit on the number of retirements.

According to Phalen's assistant, Roberta Kenney, the mayor was faced with layoffs and picked June 28 so that the retirements would take place during the fiscal year which ends this June 30. "The mayor is doing everything possible to avoid layoffs," Kenney said.

Sick leave and vacation buyback payments for the ERIs will be spread over the next two fiscal years, an arrangement with which the employee unions agreed .

The Quincy Retirement Board staff now has the task of certifying and processing ERI applicants during a very short time frame. The Board's staff is led by director Ed Masterson who is assisted by Marguerite Lightbourne, Vicki Tasney and John Spano. Michael McFarland, George McCray, Richard Crespi, Frank McCauley and Roger Perfetti are the members of the Board.