Sarasota County, Florida Notes to Financial Statements September 30, 2022 Florida Retirement System Pension Plan Plan Description The Florida Retirement System Pension Plan (the FRS Plan) is a cost-sharing multiple-employer defined benefit pension plan, with a Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) for eligible employees. The general classes of membership are as follows: Regular Class – Members of the FRS who do not qualify for membership in the other classes. Elected County Officers Class – Members who hold specified elective offices in local government. Senior Management Service Class (SMSC) – Members in senior management level positions. Special Risk Class – Members who are special risk employees, such as law enforcement officers, meet the criteria to qualify for this class. Employees enrolled in the FRS Plan prior to July 1, 2011, vest at 6 years of creditable service and employees enrolled in the FRS Plan on or after July 1, 2011, vest at 8 years of creditable service. All vested members, enrolled prior to July 1, 2011, are eligible for normal retirement benefits at age 62 or at any age after 30 years of service, except for members classified as special risk who are eligible for normal retirement benefits at age 55 or at any age after 25 years of service. All members enrolled in the FRS Plan on or after July 1, 2011, once vested, are eligible for normal retirement benefits at age 65 or any time after 33 years of creditable service, except for members classified as special risk who are eligible for normal retirement benefits at age 60 or at any age after 30 years of service. Employees enrolled in the FRS Plan may include up to 4 years of credit for military service toward creditable service. The FRS Plan also includes an early retirement provision; however, there is a benefit reduction for each year a member retires before his or her normal retirement date. The FRS Plan provides retirement, disability, death benefits, and annual cost-of-living adjustments to eligible participants. DROP, subject to provisions of Section 121.091, Florida Statutes, permits employees eligible for normal retirement under the FRS Plan to defer receipt of monthly benefit payments while continuing employment with an FRS participating employer. An employee may participate in DROP for a period not to exceed 60 months after electing to participate, except that certain instructional personnel may participate for up to 96 months. During the period of DROP participation, deferred monthly benefits are held in the FRS Trust Fund and accrue interest. The net pension liability does not include amounts for DROP participants, as these members are considered retired and are not accruing additional pension benefits. Benefits Provided Benefits under the FRS Plan are computed on the basis of age and/or years of service, average final compensation, and service credit. Credit for each year of service is expressed as a percentage of the average final compensation. For members initially enrolled before July 1, 2011, the average final compensation is the average of the 5 highest fiscal years’ earnings; for members initially enrolled on or after July 1, 2011, the average final compensation is the average of the 8 highest fiscal years’ earnings. The total percentage value of the benefit received is determined by calculating the total value of all service, which is based on the retirement class to which the member belonged when the service credit was earned. Members are eligible for in-line-of-duty or regular disability and survivors’ benefits. The following chart shows the percentage value for each year of service credit earned: 138
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