10-25-04 Regular Meeting of La Porte Audit Committee

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i CITY OF LA PORTE, TEXAS Notes to the Financial Statements - Continued September 30, 2004 6. Pension Benefits - Continued Members can retire at ages 60 and above with 10 or more years of service or with 20 years of service regardless of age. The Plan also provides death and disability benefits. A member is vested after 10 years. The Plan provisions are adopted by the governing body of the City, within the options available in the state statutes governing the TMRS and within the actuarial constraints also in the statutes. Contributions The contribution rate for employees is 7 percent and the City's matching ratio is currently 2 to 1, both as adopted by the governing body of the City. Under the state law governing TMRS, the actuary annually determines the City's contribution rate. This rate consists of the normal cost contribution rate and the prior service contribution rate, both of which are calculated to be a level percentage of payroll from year to year. The normal cost contribution rate financing the currently accruing monetary credits is due to the City's matching percentage, which is the obligation of the City as of an employee's retirement date, not at the time the employee's contributions are made. The normal cost contribution rate is the actuarially determined percentage of payroll necessary to satisfy the obligation of the City to each employee at the time his retirement becomes effective. The prior service contribution rate amortizes the unfounded (over funded) actuarial liability (asset) over the Plan's 25-year amortization period. When the City periodically adopts updated service credits and increases in annuities, in effect, the increased unfounded actuarial liability is to be amortized over a new 25-year period. Currently, the unfounded actuarial liability is being amortized over the 25-year period, which began January 1998. The unit credit actuarial cost method is used for determining the City's contribution rate. Both the employees and the City make contributions monthly. Since the City needs to know its contribution rate in advance for budgetary purposes, there is a one-year delay between the actuarial valuation that is the basis for the rate and the calendar year when the rate goes into effect. A summary of actuarial assumptions is presented below: Actuarial Valuation Date Actuarial Cost Method Amortization Method Remaining Amortization Period Asset Valuation Method Investment Rate of Return Projected Salary Increases Inflation Rate Cost of Living Adjustment Annual Fiscal Pension Year Cost (APC) 2001 $ 1,668,836 2002 1,665,210 2003 1,802,728 December 30, 2003 Unit Credit Level Percent of Payroll 25 Years - Open Period Amortized Cost 7% None None None Percentage of APC Net Pension Contribution Obligation 100% 100% - 100% - Additional supplementary three-year trend information may be found on page 69. 64