2007 Minnesota Statutes

69.772 RELIEF ASSOCIATIONS PAYING LUMP SUM SERVICE PENSIONS.
    Subdivision 1. Application. This section shall apply to any firefighters' relief association
specified in section 69.771, subdivision 1, which pays a lump sum service pension, but which
does not pay a monthly service pension, to a retiring firefighter when at least the minimum
requirements for entitlement to a service pension specified in section 424A.02, or any applicable
special legislation and the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the relief association have been
met. Each firefighters' relief association to which this section applies shall determine the accrued
liability of the special fund of the relief association in accordance with the accrued liability table
set forth in subdivision 2 and the financial requirements of the relief association and the minimum
obligation of the municipality in accordance with the procedure set forth in subdivision 3.
    Subd. 2. Determination of accrued liability. Each firefighters' relief association which pays
a service pension when a retiring firefighter meets the minimum requirements for entitlement to a
service pension specified in section 424A.02 and which in its articles of incorporation or bylaws
requires service credit for a period of service of at least 20 years of active service for a totally
nonforfeitable service pension shall determine the accrued liability of the special fund of the
firefighters' relief association relative to each active member of the relief association, calculated
individually using the following table:

Cumulative	Accrued
Year	Liability
.....	.....

1		$	60
2			124
3			190
4			260
5			334
6			410
7			492
8			576
9			666
10			760
11			858
12			962
13			1070
14			1184
15			1304
16			1428
17			1560
18			1698
19			1844
20			2000
21	and thereafter		100	additional per year

As set forth in the table the accrued liability for each member of the relief association
corresponds to the cumulative years of active service to the credit of the member. The accrued
liability of the special fund for each active member is determined by multiplying the accrued
liability from the chart by the ratio of the lump sum service pension amount currently provided
for in the bylaws of the relief association to a service pension of $100 per year of service. If a
member has fractional service as of December 31, the figure for service credit to be used for the
determination of accrued liability pursuant to this section shall be rounded to the nearest full year
of service credit. The total accrued liability of the special fund as of December 31 shall be the
sum of the accrued liability attributable to each active member of the relief association.
To the extent that the state auditor considers it to be necessary or practical, the state auditor
may specify and issue procedures, forms, or mathematical tables for use in performing the
calculations of the accrued liability for deferred members pursuant to this subdivision.
    Subd. 2a. Determination of accrued liability for recipients of installment payments. Each
firefighters' relief association which pays a lump sum service pension in installment payments
to a retired firefighter pursuant to section 424A.02, subdivision 8, shall determine the accrued
liability of the special fund of the firefighters' relief association relative to each retired member
receiving a lump sum service pension in installment payments calculated individually as the sum
of each future installment payment discounted at an interest rate of five percent, compounded
annually, from the date the installment payment is scheduled to be paid to December 31. If the
bylaws of the relief association provide for the payment of interest on unpaid installments, the
amount of interest, projected to December 31, shall be added to the accrued liability attributable
to each retired member. The sum of the accrued liability attributable to each retired member of
the relief association receiving a lump sum service pension in installment payments shall be the
total additional accrued liability of the special fund of the relief association as of December 31,
and shall be added to the accrued liability of the special fund of the relief association calculated
pursuant to subdivision 2 for purposes of calculating the financial requirements of the relief
association and the minimum obligation of the municipality pursuant to subdivision 3.
To the extent that the state auditor deems it to be necessary or practical, the state auditor may
specify and issue procedures, forms, or mathematical tables for use in performing the calculations
required pursuant to this subdivision.
    Subd. 3. Financial requirements of relief association; minimum obligation of
municipality. (a) During the month of July, the officers of the relief association shall determine
the overall funding balance of the special fund for the current calendar year, the financial
requirements of the special fund for the following calendar year and the minimum obligation of
the municipality with respect to the special fund for the following calendar year in accordance
with the requirements of this subdivision.
(b) The overall funding balance of the special fund for the current calendar year must be
determined in the following manner:
(1) The total accrued liability of the special fund for all active and deferred members of the
relief association as of December 31 of the current year must be calculated under subdivisions 2
and 2a, if applicable.
(2) The total present assets of the special fund projected to December 31 of the current
year, including receipts by and disbursements from the special fund anticipated to occur on or
before December 31, must be calculated. To the extent possible, for those assets for which a
market value is readily ascertainable, the current market value as of the date of the calculation
for those assets must be utilized in making this calculation. For any asset for which no market
value is readily ascertainable, the cost value or the book value, whichever is applicable, must be
utilized in making this calculation.
(3) The amount of the total present assets of the special fund calculated under clause (2)
must be subtracted from the amount of the total accrued liability of the special fund calculated
under clause (1). If the amount of total present assets exceeds the amount of the total accrued
liability, then the special fund is considered to have a surplus over full funding. If the amount of
the total present assets is less than the amount of the total accrued liability, then the special fund is
considered to have a deficit from full funding. If the amount of total present assets is equal to the
amount of the total accrued liability, then the special fund is considered to be fully funded.
(c) The financial requirements of the special fund for the following calendar year must be
determined in the following manner:
(1) The total accrued liability of the special fund for all active and deferred members of the
relief association as of December 31 of the calendar year next following the current calendar year
must be calculated under subdivisions 2 and 2a, if applicable.
(2) The increase in the total accrued liability of the special fund for the following calendar
year over the total accrued liability of the special fund for the current year must be calculated.
(3) The amount of anticipated future administrative expenses of the special fund must be
calculated by multiplying the dollar amount of the administrative expenses of the special fund
for the most recent prior calendar year by the factor of 1.035.
(4) If the special fund is fully funded, the financial requirements of the special fund for the
following calendar year are the total of the amounts calculated under clauses (2) and (3).
(5) If the special fund has a deficit from full funding, the financial requirements of the special
fund for the following calendar year are the financial requirements of the special fund calculated
as though the special fund were fully funded under clause (4) plus an amount equal to one-tenth of
the original amount of the deficit from full funding of the special fund as determined under clause
(2) resulting either from an increase in the amount of the service pension occurring in the last ten
years or from a net annual investment loss occurring during the last ten years until each increase
in the deficit from full funding is fully retired. The annual amortization contribution under this
clause may not exceed the amount of the deficit from full funding.
(6) If the special fund has a surplus over full funding, the financial requirements of the
special fund for the following calendar year are the financial requirements of the special fund
calculated as though the special fund were fully funded under clause (4) reduced by an amount
equal to one-tenth of the amount of the surplus over full funding of the special fund.
(d) The minimum obligation of the municipality with respect to the special fund is the
financial requirements of the special fund reduced by the amount of any fire state aid payable
under sections 69.011 to 69.051 reasonably anticipated to be received by the municipality for
transmittal to the special fund during the following calendar year, an amount of interest on the
assets of the special fund projected to the beginning of the following calendar year calculated
at the rate of five percent per annum, and the amount of any contributions to the special fund
required by the relief association bylaws from the active members of the relief association
reasonably anticipated to be received during the following calendar year. A reasonable amount of
anticipated fire state aid is an amount that does not exceed the fire state aid actually received in
the prior year multiplied by the factor 1.035.
    Subd. 4. Certification of financial requirements and minimum municipal obligation;
levy. (a) The officers of the relief association shall certify the financial requirements of the special
fund of the relief association and the minimum obligation of the municipality with respect to the
special fund of the relief association as determined under subdivision 3 to the governing body
of the municipality on or before August 1 of each year. The financial requirements of the relief
association and the minimum municipal obligation must be included in the financial report or
financial statement under section 69.051.
(b) The municipality shall provide for at least the minimum obligation of the municipality
with respect to the special fund of the relief association by tax levy or from any other source of
public revenue.
(c) The municipality may levy taxes for the payment of the minimum municipal obligation
without any limitation as to rate or amount and irrespective of any limitations imposed by other
provisions of law upon the rate or amount of taxation until the balance of the special fund or any
fund of the relief association has attained a specified level. In addition, any taxes levied under this
section must not cause the amount or rate of any other taxes levied in that year or to be levied
in a subsequent year by the municipality which are subject to a limitation as to rate or amount
to be reduced.
(d) If the municipality does not include the full amount of the minimum municipal
obligations in its levy for any year, the officers of the relief association shall certify that amount to
the county auditor, who shall spread a levy in the amount of the certified minimum municipal
obligation on the taxable property of the municipality.
(e) If the state auditor determines that a municipal contribution actually made in a plan year
was insufficient under section 69.771, subdivision 3, paragraph (c), clause (5), the state auditor
may request a copy of the certifications under this subdivision from the relief association or from
the city. The relief association or the city, whichever applies, must provide the certifications
within 14 days of the date of the request from the state auditor.
    Subd. 5. Crediting of investment income; effect of excess interest. All investment income
earned on the assets of the special fund of the relief association shall be credited to the special
fund. Investment income earned or anticipated to be earned in a calendar year in excess of the
assumed rate specified in subdivision 3, clause (3) shall not be included in the calculations of the
financial requirements of the special fund of the relief association or the minimum obligation of
the municipality with respect to the special fund of the relief association for that calendar year.
    Subd. 6. Municipal ratification for plan amendments. If the special fund of the relief
association does not have a surplus over full funding pursuant to subdivision 3, clause (2),
subclause (e), or if the municipality is required to provide financial support to the special fund of
the relief association pursuant to this section, the adoption of or any amendment to the articles of
incorporation or bylaws of a relief association which increases or otherwise affects the retirement
coverage provided by or the service pensions or retirement benefits payable from the special fund
of any relief association to which this section applies shall not be effective until it is ratified by
the governing body of the municipality in which the relief association is located and the officers
of a relief association shall not seek municipal ratification prior to preparing and certifying an
estimate of the expected increase in the accrued liability and annual accruing liability of the relief
association attributable to the amendment. If the special fund of the relief association has a surplus
over full funding pursuant to subdivision 3, clause (2), subclause (e), and if the municipality is
not required to provide financial support to the special fund of the relief association pursuant to
this section, the relief association may adopt or amend its articles of incorporation or bylaws
which increase or otherwise affect the retirement coverage provided by or the service pensions or
retirement benefits payable from the special fund of the relief association which shall be effective
without municipal ratification so long as this does not cause the amount of the resulting increase
in the accrued liability of the special fund of the relief association to exceed 90 percent of the
amount of the prior surplus over full funding and this does not result in the financial requirements
of the special fund of the relief association exceeding the expected amount of the future fire state
aid to be received by the relief association as determined by the board of trustees following the
preparation of an estimate of the expected increase in the accrued liability and annual accruing
liability of the relief association attributable to the change. If a relief association adopts or amends
its articles of incorporation or bylaws without municipal ratification pursuant to this subdivision,
and, subsequent to the amendment or adoption, the financial requirements of the special fund of
the relief association pursuant to this section are such so as to require financial support from the
municipality, the provision which was implemented without municipal ratification shall no longer
be effective without municipal ratification and any service pensions or retirement benefits payable
after that date shall be paid only in accordance with the articles of incorporation or bylaws as
amended or adopted with municipal ratification.
History: 1971 c 261 s 2; 1973 c 772 s 3; 1977 c 171 s 2; 1977 c 429 s 63; 1978 c 562 s 1;
1979 c 201 s 2-8; 1981 c 224 s 27,28; 1982 c 421 s 1; 1982 c 465 s 1; 1983 c 219 s 1-3; 1983
c 289 s 114 subd 1; 1984 c 655 art 1 s 92; 1987 c 259 s 8; 1990 c 480 art 6 s 5; 1Sp2003 c 1
art 2 s 62; 1Sp2005 c 8 art 9 s 4,5