Agenda Packet 12-9-19 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY OF EUGENE, OREGON Notes to Basic Financial Statements continued (5) Other Information, continued (C) Retirement Plan – Oregon PERS (OPERS) Plan Description Employees of the City are provided with pensions through the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) a cost-sharing multiple-employer defined benefit pension plan, the Oregon Legislature has delegated authority to the Public Employees Retirement Board to administer and manage the system. All benefits of the System are established by the legislature pursuant to ORS Chapters 238 and 238A. OPERS issues a publicly available Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Actuarial Valuation that can be obtained at: http://www.oregon.gov/pers/Pages/section/financial_reports/financials.aspx Plan Benefits Tier One/Tier Two Retirement Benefit ORS Chapter 238. The Tier One/Tier Two Retirement Benefit plan is closed to new members hired on or after August 29, 2003. Pension Benefits The PERS retirement allowance is payable monthly for life. It may be selected from 13 retirement benefit options. These options include survivorship benefits and lump-sum refunds. The basic benefit is based on years of service and final average salary. A percentage (2.0% for police and fire employees, 1.67% for general service employees) is multiplied by the number of years of service and the final average salary. Benefits may also be calculated under either a formula plus annuity (for members who were contributing before August 21, 1981) or a money match computation if a greater benefit results. A member is considered vested and will be eligible at minimum retirement age for a service retirement allowance if he or she has had a contribution in each of five calendar years or has reached at least 50 years of age before ceasing employment with a participating employer (age 45 for police and fire members). General service employees may retire after reaching age 55. Police and fire members are eligible after reaching age 50. Tier One general service employee benefits are reduced if retirement occurs prior to age 58 with fewer than 30 years of service. Police and fire member benefits are reduced if retirement occurs prior to age 55 with fewer than 25 years of service. Tier Two members are eligible for full benefits at age 60. Death Benefits Upon the death of a non-retired member, the beneficiary receives a lump-sum refund of the member’s account balance (accumulated contributions and interest). In addition, the beneficiary will receive a lump-sum payment from employer funds equal to the account balance, provided one or more of the following conditions are met: • the member was employed by a PERS employer at the time of death, • the member died within 120 days after termination of PERS-covered employment, • the member died as a result of injury sustained while employed in a PERS-covered job, or • the member was on an official leave of absence from a PERS-covered job at the time of death. Disability Benefits A member with 10 or more years of creditable service who becomes disabled from other than duty-connected causes may receive a non-duty disability benefit. A disability resulting from a job-incurred injury or illness qualifies a member (including PERS judge members) for disability benefits regardless of the length of PERS-covered service. Upon qualifying for either a non-duty or duty disability, service time is computed to age 58 (55 for police and fire members) when determining the monthly benefit. Benefit Changes After Retirement Members may choose to continue participation in a variable equities investment account after retiring and may experience annual benefit fluctuations due to changes in the market value of equity investments. Under ORS 238.360, monthly benefits are adjusted annually through cost-of-living (COLA) changes. All monthly pension and annuity benefits except unit purchases are eligible for post-retirement adjustments. As a result of the Senate Bills 822 and 861 and the Oregon Supreme Court decision in Moro v. State of Oregon, automatic post-retirement adjustments are based on a blended COLA rate. 65 December 9, 2019, Meeting - Item 2CCC Agenda - Page 109