Essex Regional Retirement Board
Serving those who serve others for the greater good.

It was heard at the Public Service Committee hearing on June 28, 2007. We testified as to the benefit to our 1,357 retirees.

On January 16, 2008 this bill was ordered to the House Committee on 3rd Reading. It was approved by 3rd Reading on February 7, 2008 and was passed by the House of Representatives on a voice vote.

On March 26, 2008 the Senate Committee on Ethics and Rules reported it out favorably. It was reported to the Senate Committee on 3rd Reading.

On April 10, 2008, Senate Committee on 3rd Reading amended the bill, removing the Option C section as explained below in the Option C info area. The COLA portion of the bill was left intact.

The bill should have been voted on by the House of Representatives, but the Senate changed the bill number from S1540 to S2635 and on April 14th the House of Representatives referred it to the House Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling.

This bill provides a mechanism to increase the COLA base for all retirees of the Essex Regional Retirement System raising it from $12,000 to $14,000. The maximum COLA is 3%, so this is raising the maximum annual COLA from $360 to $420. This bill also gives authority to the Essex Regional Retirement Board to increase the COLA in the future when financially feasible.

The sponsor of this legislation is Senator McGee of Lynn.

We were extremely disappointed that this piece of legislation was vetoed last Session by Governor Romney on August 10, 2006. This bill was approved and enacted by both the House and Senate and only needed Governor Romney's signature.

On July 1, 2004 the mortality table used to calculate Option C benefits was updated to reflect current mortality rates. This is a dramatic improvement to the Option C benefit. Previously, Option C retirees benefits were reduced 20 percentage points off of the Option A benefit. Now, the reduction is only about 10 percentage points. There are 258 option C and D retirees in The Essex Regional Retirement system, who are still collecting at the old rate because they retired before July 1, 2004. We have refiled legislation to extend the same benefits those individuals.

Recalculate all present Option C retirees retroactively to any date on or after passage of this bill.

We have refiled this bill. This bill was heard at the Public Service Committee hearing on July 19, 2007. We testified as to the benefit to our 258 retirees who retired under the Option C retirement before the update to the mortality tables.

This Option C bill was merged with the fast moving COLA bill above in order to assure its approval rating.

On January 16, 2008 this bill was ordered to the House Committee on 3rd Reading. It was approved by 3rd Reading on February 7, 2008 and was passed by the House of Representatives on a voice vote.

On March 26, 2008 the Senate Committee on Ethics and Rules reported it out favorably. It was reported to the Senate Committee on 3rd Reading.

On April 10, 2008, Senate Committee on 3rd Reading amended the bill, removing the Option C section as explained below in the Option C info area. The COLA portion of the bill was left intact.

The sponsor of this legislation is Senator McGee of Lynn.

Allow veterans that retired prior to 1996 to buyback their veteran's time and have their retirement recalculated.

We have refiled this bill. Public Service Committee heard this bill on May 31, 2007. We testified as to the benefit to any of our retirees who is a veteran and retired prior to 1996. These veterans were not allowed to purchase prior military service.

The sponsor of this legislation is Senator McGee of Lynn.

As a protection to retirees, this bill requires a 30 day written notice to each retiree, and a public hearing, if a governmental unit wants to increase the health care contribution rates of retirees.

Public Service Committee heard this bill on July 12, 2007. We testified as to the benefit to our retirees in the importance of maintaining a voice and a face in the process of budgets being processed.

The sponsor of this legislation is Senator McGee of Lynn.

This would extend the current law, which allows Call Firemen to buy their reserve time once they become full-time employees in the same Town. The legislation would stipulate that Call Fireman service from any town in Massachusetts could be purchased with proper documentation provided.

We have refiled this bill. This bill is currently at the Public Service Committee and is scheduled to be heard on September 27, 2007.

The sponsor of this legislation is Senator Tolman of Brighton.

Put Public Works employees in Group 4. Under this proposal, public works employees would be allowed to retire at 55 years of age with improved benefits by moving them to Group 4, providing these people with the Group 4 classification draws attention to the dangerous job they are performing.

We have refiled this bill. This bill is currently at the Public Service Committee and is scheduled to be heard on October 18, 2007.

The sponsor of this legislation is Senator McGee of Lynn.

Establish a minimum pension for a 25 year full-time employee to $12,000. This would be retroactive for all 37 of our pensioners making less than the minimum.

This bill was passed by the Senate on May 4, 2006, but it did not make it out of the House of Representatives. We have refiled this bill. Public Service Committee heard this bill on June 14, 2007. We testified as to the benefit to our 37 retirees whose annual pensions are less than $12,000. Thirty of those individuals are over 75 years old.

The sponsor of this legislation is Senator McGee of Lynn.