Less than two months after winning a new term as sheriff, Kevin Walsh is retiring. But, as YNN's Bill Carey reports, that doesn't mean he's stepping down.

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ONONDAGA COUNTY, N.Y. -- Walsh, who has reached retirement age, has filed paperwork to retire at year's end and begin receiving his pension, while beginning a new term as Sheriff, for which he is paid $110,000 a year.

"I think my justifications are the same as the justifications of the police chiefs and sheriffs across the state who've been doing this for many, many years. This is a very common practice in law enforcement," said Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh.

In fact, a common practice in many levels of government in New York State.

Here at Syracuse City Hall, John Cowin is paid $94,000 a year as deputy mayor. But at the same time, he's receiving a pension as a retired fire chief. A pension totaling $82,000 a year.

Critics refer to it as "double dipping" and despite regulations allowing the practice, they say they are not happy about it.

"It's certainly permissible. There's nothing illegal about it or technically improper. I guess the question is more, maybe, of a moral question as to whether, if you're going to do that, maybe you should be upfront about it," said Onondaga County Legislator Casey Jordan.

And there is more and more concern about the practice as local costs for paying pensions continue to rise.

"We expect, based on projections that we received from division of budget, our pension costs will roughly double in the next four years," said James Rowley, Onondaga County Chief Fiscal Officer.

Walsh says, in fact, he is saving Onondaga County money. While his retirement clears the way for him to receive pension payments, he says it also means that the county will no longer need to make its annual contributions to the pension plan on his behalf.

"By doing this, I will be saving the county $24,000 a year, roughly $100,000 over the life of this next term," Walsh said.

Walsh makes one other point. He will, officially, be retired. But he has no plans to walk away before the end of the new four year term he won in November.

Legislation that would have prohibited so-called "double dipping" has failed to win approval in the New York State legislature.