(1) Lump Sum Increases. Each member who, on or before
July 1, 1999, is or would be sixty (60) years of age or older and each
beneficiary or survivor, of a member who was or would be sixty (60) years of age
or older, who is receiving or entitled to receive a retirement benefit under
this Ordinance and who, on or before July 1, 1999, will have received or been
entitled to receive benefits for at least ten (10) years shall receive two lump
sum bonuses in the amount of One Thousand Dollars ($1000) plus an additional One
Hundred Dollars ($100) for each full year over ten (10) years that the member,
beneficiary or survivor has received or been entitled to receive benefits. The
first bonus payment shall be made no later than April 30, 1999. The second bonus
payment shall be made on July 15, 2000. For purposes of this section only, the
time during which a deceased member received benefits shall be included in
calculating the length of time a survivor has received benefits. Any beneficiary
or survivor of a member who was killed or died in the line of duty related to
the work environment shall be eligible to receive the two lump sum bonuses, if
such death occurred on or before July 1, 1999 regardless of the age of the
member at the time of death. In addition, for purposes of determining
eligibility, any member, beneficiary or survivor who does not meet the above
eligibility criteria as of July 1, 1999 but who would meet the said criteria as
of July 1, 2000, such member, beneficiary or survivor is eligible only to
receive the lump sum bonus payment to be made on July 15,
2000.
(2) Pension Adjustment Fund.
(a) On July 1, 1999 the
Board of Pensions and Retirement (the "Board") shall establish a Pension
Adjustment Fund. The "fund basis" (as defined) shall be certified to the Board
by its actuary which shall determine the total funded and unfunded liability of
the Municipal Retirement System by valuing the total assets of the Retirement
System, using the "adjusted market value of assets valuation method" (as
defined) of the Pension Fund's assets. Effective June 30, 2000 and for
each fiscal year thereafter, the Board shall determine whether the fund basis
has been maintained and whether there are excess earnings available to be
credited to the Pension Adjustment Fund pursuant to the provisions of subsection
(3). The Board's determination shall be based upon the actuary's
certification of the Pension Fund's total assets and prior fiscal year
earnings, using the adjusted market value of the Pension Fund's assets.
Available assets earnings shall be credited to the Pension Adjustment Fund as of
July 1 of the then current fiscal year. The Board shall maintain (or
re-establish and maintain) a Pension Adjustment Fund for each fiscal year
pursuant to the requirements of this Section, provided, however, that the
portion of the assets attributed to the Pension Adjustment Fund shall not be
segregated from the assets of the Pension Fund. The purpose of the Pension
Adjustment Fund is for the distribution of benefits as determined by the Board
for retirees, beneficiaries or survivors. The Board shall make timely, regular
and sufficient distributions from the Pension Adjustment Fund in order to
maximize the benefits of retirees, beneficiaries or survivors. After the Board
has received the actuarial certification for the fiscal year ending June 30,
2000 and every year thereafter, but not later than six (6) months following the
end of every fiscal year, the Board shall develop various plans that the Board
shall consider for approval, so as to ensure that if there are any funds
available in the Pension Adjustment Fund on or after July 1, 2000, a
distribution may be made within six (6) months and without delay in accordance
with the provisions of subsection (4).
(.1) Definitions. In this
subsection the following definitions shall apply:
"Adjusted market
value of assets valuation method." For each fiscal year ending just prior to
the annual valuation of the Pension Fund, take the market value at the beginning
of that year, recognize cash flows of contributions and benefit payment being
made on average in the middle of the year and roll those values forward based on
the Pension Fund's assumed rate of return to the end of the fiscal year.
This end of year value is called the expected market value. Subtract the
expected market value from the actual market value at the end of the fiscal
year. To the extent this difference is positive, there is an experienced gain on
investments and, if negative, an experienced loss. Once the gain or loss is
determined, include one-fifth of that amount in the annual valuation and defer
four-fifths of the gain/loss to be recognized in each of the next four (4)
fiscal years. Add up all remaining deferred gains and losses over the past five
(5) years and subtract them from the market value of assets to get the "adjusted
market value of assets valuation method."
"Fund basis." The
actuarial funding level that has been achieved as of July 1, 1999 and which must
be maintained in order for excess earnings to be available for credits to the
Pension Adjustment Fund.
(3) Credits to Pension Adjustment Fund. For
each fiscal year in which the Board establishes, re-establishes or maintains a
Pension Adjustment Fund pursuant to this Section, the Board shall credit the
Pension Adjustment Fund pursuant to the following parameters:
(a) The
first one percent (1%) of earnings to the Pension Fund that are above the
actuarial assumed earnings rate of the pension system shall remain in the
Pension Fund.
(b) The Board shall credit the Pension Adjustment Fund
with fifty percent (50%) of the excess earnings to the Pension Fund that are
between one percent (1%) and six percent (6%) above the actuarial assumed
earnings rate. For example, if the assumed earnings rate were nine percent (9%)
and the actual earnings rate were ten percent (10%), the Pension Fund would
retain all earnings; if the actual earnings rate were between ten percent (10%)
and fifteen percent (15%), the Pension Fund would retain fifty percent (50%) of
the excess earnings and the Pension Adjustment Fund would be credited with fifty
percent (50%) of the excess earnings.
(c) All earnings in excess of six
percent (6%) of the actuarial assumed earnings rate will remain in the Pension
Fund.
(d) In determining the amount of credits to be allocated to the
Pension Adjustment Fund for any fiscal year, the Board's actuary shall use
the adjusted market value of assets valuation method.
(e) No credits
shall be made to the Pension Adjustment Fund for any fiscal year in which the
total fund basis of the Retirement System, as determined by the Board's
actuary, using the adjusted market value of assets valuation method, are less
than the fund basis established as of July 1, 1999.
(4) Distributions
from Pension Adjustment Fund.
(a) Every year within sixty (60) days of
the end of the fiscal year, by majority vote of its members, the Board shall
consider whether sufficient funds have accumulated in the Pension Adjustment
Fund to support an enhanced benefit distribution (which may include, but is not
limited to, a lump sum bonus payment, monthly pension payment increases, ad-hoc
cost-of-living adjustments, continuous cost-of-living adjustments or some other
form of increase in benefits as determined by the Board) to retirees, their
beneficiaries and their survivors, and the Board may, by majority vote of its
members, authorize distributions from the Pension Adjustment Fund. The Board
shall also review the accumulated assets of the Pension Adjustment Fund at least
every three years to assess whether additional distributions may be appropriate.
Prior to a determination that a distribution shall be made, the Board shall have
an actuarial impact statement provided. No distribution shall be made unless
that statement certifies that the Pension Adjustment Fund assets are sufficient
to provide the full cost of the proposed benefit
adjustment.
(.1) Definitions. In this paragraph the following
definitions shall apply:
"Ad-hoc cost-of-living adjustment." A
single cost-of-living adjustment that increases the retiree's,
beneficiary's and survivor's benefit on a perennial basis for
life.
"Continuous cost-of-living adjustment." Multiple
cost-of-living adjustments which provide annual increases for retirees,
beneficiaries and survivors for life.
"Lump sum bonus payments."
One time payments to retirees, beneficiaries and survivors which do not increase
monthly pension payments.
(b) The Board shall report, in writing, to
City Council, no later than thirty (30) days after the end of the fiscal year,
any distributions that have been made or are proposed to be made from the
current balance of the Pension Adjustment Fund. If no distributions were made
in the previous fiscal year, the Board will explain, in writing, the reasons
therefor. Subject to the availability
[16] of
funds in the Pension Adjustment Fund, if no distributions have been made by no
later than eighteen (18) months after the creation of the Pension Adjustment
Fund, or any eighteen (18) month anniversary thereafter, and if the Board has
not voted on and approved an enhanced
[17]
benefit distribution plan at that time, the Board shall notify City Council of
such inaction, in writing, and explain why no distributions have been made and
provide a full financial report on the current balance of the Pension Adjustment
Fund. The Council expressly reserves the right to provide at any time, by
ordinance, for enhanced
[18] benefit
distributions from the Pension Adjustment Fund, if the Board fails to provide
for any distributions, or if deemed by Council an inadequate distribution,
during any period of eighteen (18) consecutive months. The Council shall follow
the same procedures as are required of the Board pursuant to this Section before
any distributions may be authorized.
(c) If in any period of two (2)
consecutive fiscal years, the Pension Adjustment Fund does not receive any
credits, even though the Pension Fund's rate of return exceeds one percent
(1%) above the actuarial assumed earnings rate in each of the two consecutive
fiscal years using an adjusted market value of assets valuation methodology, the
Board shall make a report, in writing, within thirty (30) days of the end of the
two (2) consecutive fiscal year period to City Council to explain these
circumstances. City Council reserves the right to make any amendments to the
authorizations, directives or provisions of this Ordinance or to take any other
action in order to correct this circumstance or any other circumstance, as the
Council deems proper.
(5) It is the intent of Council that distributions
to retirees, their beneficiaries and their survivors through the Pension
Adjustment Fund pursuant to this Section should be funded solely from investment
returns generated by Pension Fund assets. Nothing in this ordinance is intended
to require the City of Philadelphia to make any contributions from the General
Fund to support the Pension Adjustment Fund in any way except, by Ordinance of
City Council.