[Adopted 9-29-1976 as Ch. 12, Art. II, of the 1979 Code]
There is hereby created and established a pension
fund for the pensioning of employees of the City, which shall be known
as the "Pension Fund of the City of Scranton."
The beneficiaries of the pension fund shall
be those persons designated in the Act of May 28, 1915 (53 P.S. § 23561
et seq.), as amended, and they shall pay such dues and receive such
pensions as are provided for in such Act. Dues shall be deducted from
the regular monthly or semimonthly payrolls of such employees.
The moneys of the pension fund shall be invested
in such securities as the Pension Board shall from time to time designate
and approve.
Council shall annually set aside and appropriate
out of all taxes or income of the City to the Pension Board a sum
sufficient to maintain the pensions or compensations due under this
Article and the Act of May 28, 1915 (53 P.S. § 23561 et
seq.), as amended.
This Article shall apply to all persons employed
in any capacity by or holding positions under the City, except laborers
employed at a per diem wage, with whom it shall be optional whether
they shall make payments into the pension fund and receive the benefits
thereof, and except also all of the members or employees of the Bureau
of Fire and the Bureau of Police.
Laborers employed at a per diem wage for the
Department of Public Works, City of Scranton, or any other laborer
employed by the Department of Public Works who, pursuant to the collective
bargaining agreement between the Department of Public Works and the
City of Scranton[1] is permitted to join the International Association of
Machinists and Aerospace Workers (I.A.M.) Pension Fund for the Department
of Public Works, then said laborer is prohibited from being a member
of both the City employees' pension fund and the I.A.M. pension fund.
Said laborer shall be permitted to be a member of only one pension
fund governing the course of employment with the City of Scranton.
[1]
Editor's Note: The collective bargaining agreement
is on file in the City offices.
A.Â
Pursuant to the authority conferred by Act 501, approved
July 3, 1947, P.L. 1232 (53 P.S. § 30786), this section
is hereby enacted.
B.Â
All persons now or hereafter employed in the office
of the collector of taxes shall be permitted to join the pension fund
of the City for City employees as outlined by this Article. Such persons
now or hereafter employed in the office of the collector of taxes
shall join the City pension fund subject to the terms of this section
and subject to this Article, its amendments and supplements, and the
rules of the pension fund.
C.Â
Council shall annually set aside and appropriate out
of all taxes or income of the City to the pension fund a sum sufficient
to build up 1/2 of the reserves necessary for the payment of the City's
annuity of such employees of the tax collector upon retirement.
D.Â
This section shall not become effective until such
time as the school district of the City has duly adopted a resolution
whereby the school district will pay from time to time 1/2 of the
moneys required to build up the reserves necessary for the payment
of the City's annuity of such employees of the office of the collector
of taxes upon retirement as provided by Act 501, approved July 3,
1947, P.L. 1232 (53 P.S. § 30786).
E.Â
The Treasurer and the Secretary of the pension fund
shall maintain separate records of funds received from or on account
of the employees of the Office of the Collector of Taxes and shall
keep separate records of the pensions paid to such employees.
F.Â
All employees of the Office of the Collector of Taxes
shall register with the Secretary of the pension fund upon entering
the employ of such office.
G.Â
All persons employed in the office of the collector
of taxes shall make payments into the pension fund of all sums accrued
at the rate established since the date of employment. Such arrearages
accrued with interest thereon 60 days after the date of approval of
this section and the adoption of a resolution by the school district
of the City, if not previously paid, shall be deducted out of the
first moneys hereafter payable by way of pension to any person otherwise
entitled to receive the same.
H.Â
The pension paid to all employees of the Office of
the Collector of Taxes shall be at the rate and under the same terms
and conditions as are now paid to the employees of the City who are
members of the City pension fund.
A.Â
Pursuant to the authority conferred by the Act of
May 28, 1915, P.L. 596 (53 P.S. § 23561 et seq.), this section
is hereby enacted.
B.Â
All persons now or hereafter employed by the public
library shall be permitted to join the pension fund for City employees
as outlined by this Article . Such persons now or hereafter employed
by the public library shall join the City pension fund subject to
the terms of this section and this Article, its amendments, supplements,
and the rules of the pension fund.
C.Â
The Treasurer and the Secretary of the fund shall
maintain separate records of funds received from and on account of
the employees of the public library and shall keep separate records
of the pensions paid to such employees.
D.Â
All employees of the public library shall register
with the Secretary of the pension fund upon entering the employ of
the library.
E.Â
All persons employed by the public library shall make
payments into the pension fund of all the sums accrued at the rate
established. Such arrearages accrued with interest thereon, 60 days
after the date of approval of this section, if not previously paid,
shall be deducted out of the first moneys hereafter payable by way
of pension to any person otherwise entitled to receive the same.
F.Â
The pension paid to all employees of the public library
shall be at the rate and under the same terms and conditions as are
now paid to the employees of the City who are members of the City
pension fund.
[Amended by Ord. No. 76-1994]
The City employees, including all employees
of the Office of the Collector of Taxes, and all employees of the
public library, and contributing members after May 7, 1965, shall
pay into the pension fund, or have deducted from their salaries or
wages, an amount equal to 3% of their monthly salaries or wages; in
no event, however, paying at a rate greater than $24 a month. The
City Controller is hereby authorized to make payroll deductions accordingly,
and in accordance with Act 38, approved May 7, 1965 (53 P.S. § 30591
et seq.).
All persons originally employed prior to May
28, 1915, may make payment into the pension fund of all sums accrued
at the rate established since such date, and all persons originally
employed subsequent to May 28, 1915, may make payment into the fund
of all sums accrued at the rate established since the date of employment.
Such arrearages accrued with interest thereon, commencing 60 days
after the date of the approval of the ordinance from which this section
was derived, if not previously paid, shall be deducted out of the
first moneys hereafter payable by way of pension to any person otherwise
entitled to receive the same.
[Amended by Ord. No. 76-1994; 4-5-1999 by Ord. No. 42-1999]
A.Â
Under authority of Act 84 of 1987,[1] the amount of monthly benefits to vested persons otherwise
eligible for the same from the municipal pension fund shall not exceed
$600 per month, for those members vested and otherwise eligible with
20 years of service; $650 for those members vested and otherwise eligible
with 20 years of service; $650 for those members vested and otherwise
eligible with 21 and 30 years of service; $700 per month for those
members vested and otherwise eligible with 31 years of service or
more years of service.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 30592.
B.Â
A disability benefit is provided for a member after
10 years of service and before attaining the age of 55 years of age,
and if accepted must pay an additional 10 years after the first 10
years is paid out. The benefit is set at $600 per month, for those
members vested and otherwise eligible with 20 years of service; $650
for those members vested and otherwise eligible with 20 years of service;
$650 for those members vested and otherwise eligible with 21 and 30
years of service; $700 per month for those members vested and otherwise
eligible with 31 years of service or more years of service.
The pension fund shall be controlled, administered
and distributed by a Board, which is hereby created, to be known as
the "Pension Board of the City of Scranton."
The Pension Board shall consist of the Mayor,
City Controller, President of City Council and two employees to be
chosen by the employees contributing to such pension fund.
The Pension Board shall perform such duties
as are imposed upon it by this Article and the Act of Assembly entitled
"An Act requiring cities of the second class to establish a pension
fund for employees of said cities and regulating the administration
and the payment of such pensions," approved May 28, 1915, P.L. 596
(53 P.S. § 23561 et seq.), and shall have the power to make
such reasonable rules governing the pension fund as it may deem necessary
to carry into effect the provisions of this Article and such act.
Council shall provide the Pension Board with
proper quarters for the transaction of its business and appropriate
annually sufficient funds for its maintenance and incidental expenses.
The officers of the Pension Board shall consist
of a President who shall be one of the members of the Board and who
shall be chosen annually by the Board, a Treasurer who shall be the
City Treasurer and a Secretary who shall be appointed by the Board.
The President shall preside at all meetings
of the Pension Board, shall sign all checks for payment authorized
by the Board and certified by the Secretary and shall perform such
other duties as the Board may assign to him.
The Treasurer shall receive from the Secretary
all moneys due the pension fund, giving the Secretary a receipt therefor
and shall deposit the same in a bank or banks designated by the Pension
Board. He shall pay out all moneys in his hands upon checks signed
by the President and Secretary and shall furnish a surety company
bond in such sum as the Board may require, the premium thereon to
be paid by the Board.
The Secretary of the Pension Board shall conduct
the office and business of the Board subject to the general direction
of the Board. He shall receive all moneys due the fund and shall turn
over same to the Treasurer, taking his receipt therefor. He shall
certify for payment by the Treasurer all checks authorized by the
Board. He shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Board, conduct
the correspondence and keep the records and seal of the Board. He
shall install and maintain a system of records or accounts showing
the monthly payments of each employee to the pension fund, the total
payments made monthly to the fund by the employees in each division,
bureau and department, the receipts from all sources and all moneys
expended by the Board. The Secretary shall secure and install all
proper and necessary equipment, books, ledgers, records, index systems
and printed forms needed in the conduct of the business of the Board.
He shall compile a full and complete record of the services of all
persons subject to the provisions of this Article, showing in detail
all of the following facts concerning each employee: age; original
date of employment; all different positions held; rate of pay with
all increases and decreases from time to time; all interruptions in
the continuity of service by reason of resignations, dismissals and
leaves of absence without pay; and promotions, demotions and transfers
from one department or bureau to another. The Secretary shall make
a monthly report to the Board of all receipts, expenditures and balances.
He shall furnish a surety company bond in an amount sufficient to
cover funds entrusted to him, to be fixed by the Board, premium thereon
to be paid by the Board.
The Secretary of the Pension Board shall receive
a salary at the rate established by Council. The other officers shall
serve without pay.
The two members of the Pension Board to be chosen
by the employees contributing to the pension fund shall be chosen
as follows: within 30 days after the approval of this section any
such contributing employee may be nominated, in writing, over the
signature of five of such contributing members, all nominations to
be handed to the Mayor. The Mayor shall then cause an announcement
to be posted in the main corridor of City hall, naming all such nominees
and fixing the time and place for the election, which shall be held
within the following week. The election shall be conducted by the
Mayor, the president of Council and the City Controller, or by substitutes
chosen by them respectively. The polls shall be opened for one hour
and the voting shall be by written secret ballot, but no ballot shall
be counted for any person not duly nominated as aforesaid. The two
nominees receiving the highest vote shall be declared elected and
shall serve as members of the Board for the period of three years,
and until their successors are duly elected and qualified.
[Adopted as Ord. No. 151-1987 (Ch. 12, Art. II, Div. 3, of
the 1979 Code)]
Every member who shall have served continuously
for a period of 15 years, periods of suspension and absence excluded,
having attained the age of 55 and contributed to the pension fund
for 20 years shall be eligible to retire.
The monthly pension benefit is to be set at
70% of the average monthly salary calculated over the last 60 months
of employment, not to exceed $250 per month.
There shall not be a cost of living increase
for any type of retirement.
There shall not be a service increment for any
type of retirement.
There shall not be any lump sum death benefit.
A member shall be vested for a benefit after
15 years of continuous service, periods of suspension and absence
excluded.
[Amended 4-5-1999 by Ord. No. 43-1999]
A disability benefit is provided for a member
after 10 years of service and before attaining the age of 55, and
if accepted must pay an additional 10 years after the first 10 years
is paid out. The benefit is set at $550 per month, for those members
vested and otherwise eligible with 20 years of service; $600 for those
members vested and otherwise eligible with 21 and 30 years of service;
$650 per month for those members vested and otherwise eligible with
31 years of service or more years of service.
There shall not be a survivor benefit.
Each member shall contribute 3% of pay to the
nonuniform pension fund, but not more than $6 per month.
[Added 5-10-1995 by Ord. No. 56-1995]
A 6% late fee on pension contributors who are
60 days or more in arrears on contributions to the Nonuniform Municipal
Pension Fund is hereby set forth.
The administration of the nonuniform revised
pension plan shall be the same as the previously adopted nonuniform
pension plan.
[Added 5-7-1999 by Ord. No. 73-1999]
A.Â
The revised Benefit Pension Plan for Nonuniform Employees
will provide eligibility for an immediate early retirement, provided
that the plan member has attained the age of 55, completed 10 years
of service and has contributed to the plan for 20 years. Members are
vested in their accrued early retirement benefit upon completion of
10 years of service. The date of employment termination further reduces
the benefit by 0.5% for each month the early retirement precedes the
normal retirement date.
B.Â
This section shall become effective immediately upon
approval. This section applies only to current and active employees
of the City of Scranton as of December 31, 1998. Former employees,
who were not employed as of December 31, 1998, as a nonuniform employee
of the City of Scranton, and who will not be in the future so employed,
are not eligible for the early retirement benefit.
[Amended 6-14-1999 by Ord. No. 79-1999]
