Laserfiche WebLink
CITY OF ELK RIVER, MINNESOTA <br />NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS <br />DECEMBER 31, 2006 <br />Note 4: OTHER INFORMATION - CONTINUED <br />b. Funding Policy <br />Minnesota Statutes Chapter 353 sets the rates for employer and employee contributions. These statutes are <br />established and amended by the state legislature. The City makes annual contributions to the pension plans <br />equal to the amount required by state statutes. PERF Basic Plan members and Coordinated Plan members are <br />required to contribute 9.10% and 5.50%, respectively, of their annual covered salary in 2006. Contribution <br />rates in the Coordinated Plan will increase in 2007 to 5.75%. PEPFF members were required to contribute <br />7.0% of their annual covered salary in 2006. That rate will increase to 7.8% in 2007. The City of Elk River is <br />required to contribute the following percentages of annual covered payroll: 11.78% for Basic Plan PERF <br />members, 6.0% for Coordinated Plan PERF members, and 10.5% for PEPFF members. Employer contribution <br />rates for the Coordinated Plan and PEPFF will increase to 6.25% and 11.7% respectively effective January 1, <br />2007. The City's contributions to the Public Employees Retirement Fund for the years ending December 31, <br />2006, 2005, and 2004 were $414,895, $368,213 and $314,861, respectively. The City's contributions to the <br />Public Employees Police & Fire Fund for the years ending December 31, 2006, 2005, and 2004 were $214,037, <br />$180,763 and $169,689, respectively. The City's contributions were equal to the contractually required <br />contributions for each year as set by state statute. <br />2. Volunteer Fire Department Relief Association <br />a. Plan Description <br />The Elk River Fire Relief Association is the administrator of a single employer public employee defined benefit <br />retirement system (PERS) established to provide benefits for members of the Elk River Fire Department. <br />The Fire Relief Association maintains a separate Special fund to accumulate assets to fund the retirement <br />benefits earned by the Fire Department's membership. Funding for the relief association is derived primarily <br />from an insurance premium tax in accordance with the Volunteer Firefighter's Relief Association Financing <br />Guidelines Act of 1971 (Chapter 261 as amended by Chapter 509 of Minnesota Statutes 1980). <br />The Fire Relief Association issues a publicly available financial report that includes financial statements and <br />required supplementary information. The report may be obtained by writing to the Elk River Fire Department <br />Relief Association, 13073 Orono Parkway, Elk River, MN 55330. <br />b. Funding Policy <br />The financial requirements of the Special fund are determined in accordance with Section 69.772 of the <br />Minnesota Statutes, which requires the payment of pension benefits in a lump sum or optionally in annual <br />installments. The Association is comprised of volunteers and therefore members have no contribution <br />requirements. The following summarizes the City’s annual pension cost and other related information for the <br />current year: <br /> Annual pension cost $148,455 <br /> <br /> Contributions made: <br /> City (voluntary) $28,950 <br /> State aid $148,455 <br /> Actuarial valuation date 12/31/06 <br /> Actuarial cost method Entry age normal <br /> Amortization method Level dollar closed <br />55 <br /> <br />