01-22-2024 CC Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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City of Orono, Minnesota Notes to the Financial Statements December 31, 2022 Note 4: Defined Benefit Pension Plans - Statewide (Continued) B.Benefits Provided PERA provides retirement, disability and death benefits. Benefit provisions are established by state statute and can only be modified by the state Legislature. Vested, terminated employees who are entitled to benefits but are not receiving them yet are bound by the provisions in effect at the time they last terminated their public service. General Employee Plan Benefits General Employee Plan benefits are based on a member’s highest average salary for any five successive years of allowable service, age, and years of credit at termination of service. Two methods are used to compute benefits for PERA's Coordinated Plan members. Members hired prior to July 1, 1989 receive the higher of Method 1 or Method 2 formulas. Only Method 2 is used for members hired after June 30, 1989. Under Method 1, the accrual rate for Coordinated members is 1.2 percent of average salary for each of the first 10 years of service and 1.7 percent of average salary for each additional year. Under Method 2, the accrual rate for Coordinated members is 1.7 percent for average salary for all years of service. For members hired prior to July 1, 1989 a full annuity is available wh en age plus years of service equal 90 and normal retirement age is 65. For members hired on or after July 1, 1989 normal retirement age is the age for unreduced Social Security benefits capped at 66. Benefit increases are provided to benefit recipients each January. The postretirement increase is equal to 50 percent of the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) announced by the SSA, with a minimum increase of at least 1 percent and a maximum of 1.5 percent. Recipients that have been receiving the annuity or benefit for at least a full year as of the June 30 before the effective date of the increase will receive the full increase. Recipients receiving the annuity or benefit for at least one month but less than a full year as of the June 30 before the effective date of the increase will receive a reduced prorated increase. For members retiring on January 1, 2024, or later, the increase will be delayed until normal retirement age (age 65 if hired prior to July 1, 1989, or age 66 for individuals hired on or after July 1, 1989). Members retiring under Rule of 90 are exempt from the delay to normal retirement. Police and Fire Plan Benefits Benefits for the Police and Fire Plan members first hired after June 30, 2010, but before July 1, 2014, vest on a prorated basis from 50 percent after five years up to 100 percent after ten years of credited service. Benefits for Police and Fire Plan members first hired after June 30, 2014 vest on a prorated basis from 50 percent after ten years up to 100 percent after twenty years of credited service. The annuity accrual rate is 3 percent of average salary for each year of service. A full, unreduced pension is earned when members are age 55 and vested, or for members who were first hired prior to July 1, 1989, when age plus years of service equal at least 90. Benefit increases are provided to benefit recipients each January. The postretirement increase is fixed at 1 percent. Recipients that have been receiving the annuity or benefit for at least 36 months as of the June 30 before the effective date of the increase will receive the full increase. For recipients receiving the annuity or benefit for at least 25 months but less than 36 months as of the June 30 before the effective date of the increase will receive a reduced prorated increase. C.Contributions Minnesota statutes chapter 353 sets the rates for employer and employee contributions. Contribution rates can only be modified by the state Legislature. General Employees Fund Contributions Coordinated Plan members were required to contribute 6.50 percent of their annual covered salary in fiscal year 2022 and the City was required to contribute 7.50 percent for Coordinated Plan members in fiscal year 2022. The City’s contributions to the General Employees Fund for the year ending December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 were $178,034, $145,120 and $152,742, respectively. The City’s contributions were equal to the required contributions for each year as set by state statute. 74 120