Retirement Eligibility

Eligibility for retirement is based on a number of items such as your age, years of service, bargaining group, membership date, and retirement date.  A minimum of ten (10) years of service is required for vesting purposes.

Normal Retirement Age

Normal retirement age shall mean age fifty-five (55) for those members employed on September 30, 2010, who attained age fifty-five (55) by that date and members who retire or terminate employment with ten or more years of creditable service prior to October 1, 2010.  Normal retirement age for members who did not attain age fifty-five (55) as of September 30, 2010 and all other members who retire on or after October 1, 2010 shall mean the earlier of age sixty (60) with ten years of creditable service or age fifty-five(55) with thirty years (30) of creditable service or Rule of 80 retirement with ten (10) years of creditable service (when the sum of a member’s age and length of creditable service equals at least 80).  Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph, effective September 30, 2020, for all members hired prior to October 1, 2010 who retire on or after September 30, 2020, except members of AFSCME Council 79, Local 871, normal retirement age shall mean age fifty-five (55) with ten (10) years of creditable service or rule of 70 retirement.

Service retirement

A member in service may elect to retire on a service retirement upon the attainment of normal retirement age as defined above.

Rule of 70 Retirement:

The completion of a combination of years of creditable service plus attained age equaling seventy (70) points with a minimum of ten (10) years of creditable service.  Eligible only for those as described by normal retirement age as defined above.

Rule of 80 Retirement:

The completion of a combination of years of creditable service plus attained age equaling eighty (80) points with a minimum of ten (10) years of creditable service. 

Early Service Retirement Benefit:

A member in service who has twenty (20) or more years of creditable service may elect to retire early with an immediate benefit. The early retirement benefit equals the actuarial equivalent of the basic service retirement benefit that otherwise would have commenced upon the attainment of normal retirement age.

For those members eligible to retire before October 1, 2010, the minimum normal service retirement age is 55.  For all other members, the minimum normal service retirement age is 60.

Deferred Vested Retirement Benefit:

A member who ceases to be an employee for reasons other than death or willful misconduct, who is not entitled to an immediate benefit, who has completed at least ten (10) years of creditable service, and has left his/her accumulated contributions on deposit with the Plan, would be eligible for a Deferred Vested Retirement benefit commencing at his/her normal service retirement age.

For those members eligible to retire before October 1, 2010, the minimum normal service retirement age is 55.  For all other members, the minimum normal service retirement age is 60.

SERVICE RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR CREDITABLE SERVICE

The service retirement benefit shall be as follows:

1. For those persons retiring after October 1, 1998 shall be equal to three percent (3%) of the members average final compensation multiplied by the number of years of creditable service through September 30, 2010.
2. Effective October 1, 2010 the service retirement benefit for creditable service on and after that date shall be equal to
   1. For the first 15 years of creditable service, two and one-fourth percent of the member’s average final compensation multiplied by the number of years of creditable service
   2. For creditable service in excess of 15 years but less than 20 years, two and one-half percent of the member’s average final compensation multiplied by the number of years of creditable service; and
   3. For creditable service in excess of 20 years, two and three-fourths percent of the member’s average final compensation multiplied by the number of years of creditable service.
3. Effective October 2, 1017 for members of AFSCME Council 79, Local 871, the service retirement benefit for creditable service on and after October 1, 2010 shall be equal to :
   1. For the first twenty (20) years of creditable service, two and one-half percent (2.5%) of the member’s average final compensation multiplied by the number of years of credible service; and
   2. Two and three-fourths percent (2.75%) of the member’s average final compensation multiplied by the number of years of credible service in excess of twenty (20) years.
4. Effective October 1, 2018 for all members hired before October 1, 2010 except members of AFSCME Council 79, Local 871, the service retirement benefit shall be equal to three percent (3.0%) of the member’s highest one year of compensation multiplied by the number of years of credible service.