SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Approve pension plan administrative expenditures for fiscal year 2026 totaling not-to-exceed $443,800.
Body
SUMMARY:
The Employees’ Pension Plan does not have a legally required budget. However, all expenditures must be approved by the Trustees. The following are routine administrative expenditures that staff is requesting approval of for administrative efficiency.
The recommended expenditures for fiscal year 2026 reflect a $73,900, or 20.0%, increase over the approved fiscal 2025 expenditures. This net increase is primarily due to a $60,000 increase in the budget for pension attorney services, resulting from the new practice of using State special hearing officers for the review of disability claims.
Training and travel are the estimated costs of pension training and related travel, including fiduciary training for the Trustees and Pension Advisory Committee (PAC) members. This is a not-to-exceed amount given uncertainty regarding the number of Trustees and PAC members that may elect to pursue training.
Expenditures for physicals are per the pension ordinance requirement that new employees must pass a comprehensive physical exam to be accepted into the pension plan.
Reimbursements to the General Fund and Central Insurance Fund are for the cost of oversight and administration of the Plan. The reimbursements are for services provided by Human Resources, Payroll, and Finance personnel, along with related operating expenditures.
The firm of Klausner, Kaufman, Jensen and Levinson currently serves as the Plan’s pension attorneys, while the firm of Banker, Lopez, Gassler currently provides legal services for PAC disability pension claims. The pension plan has recently contracted with the State of Florida Division of Administrative Hearings to provide hearing officers for the review of disability pension applications and issuance of recommended orders. Annual attorney fees also include medical bills for medical services authorized by the PAC.
Money manager, performance measurement consulting, custodial/safekeeping, and actuary fees (other than actuary hourly consulting and special projects) are all governed by contracts separately approved by the Trustees, and are not included in this agenda item total.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
6467410-5xxxxx (various pension plan expenditure codes)
STRATEGIC PRIORITY:
Attract and retain top-quality personnel through the maintenance of a competitive compensation and benefits program.