County Commission | The Magazine July 2019 | Page 17

FROM THE COVER
Refocus: Optional Retirement
Changes Ahead
T
he governor’s signature had
barely dried on the page
when questions started pouring in
about ACCA’s priority legislation
affecting retirement benefits, now
Act 2019-132. The intense interest
is no surprise, since the law makes
it possible for counties to offer
more attractive benefits to existing
employees.
The law, which has been in
effect since May, set out a 24-month
implementation period. The
Retirement Systems of Alabama’s
Bill Kelley will address the County
Family on Wednesday, Aug.
21, to provide details about the
implementation timeline and cost
estimates that will be available to
help each commission make an
informed decision. Kelley will also
take questions from the audience.
In counties participating in
RSA’s Employees’ Retirement
System, employees hired prior
to 2013 are eligible for the more
attractive Tier I benefits, but
employees hired later are in the Tier
II category. In a competitive job
market, enhanced retirement benefits
are expected to help counties retain
and recruit talented employees.
It should be noted that no
immediate decisions are needed that
would affect county budgets for the
2019-2020 fiscal year. n
Refocus: Implementing Counties’ New,
Attractive Retirement Option
Bill Kelley, Director of Benefits, Retirement Systems of Alabama
Afternoon General Session
1:30 p.m. | Wednesday, Aug. 21
THE ALABAMA ASSOCIATION
OF EMERGENCY MANAGERS
SALUTES ITS 2019 HONOREES!
Patrick Gifford
• JACKSON COUNTY •
ALFRED T. MOORE MEMORIAL
VOLUNTEER AWARD
Robert Mann
• AUBURN UNIVERSITY •
AAEM PRESIDENT’S
AWARD
Anthony Clifton
• DEKALB COUNTY •
PAT NEUHAUSER
SPIRIT OF EMA AWARD
AAEM: An Affiliate of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama
COUNTY COMMISSION | 17