Opinion ID: 2394524
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Retirement System

Text: Like other cities across Maryland, the City of Annapolis maintains a retirement system for its police officers and fire fighters. The retirement system is codified at Section 3.36 of the City Code. Of pertinent interest to this appeal is Section 3.36.150A, entitled Cost-of-Living Adjustments, which discusses, in part, the adjustment of retirement pension benefits for retired employees. It reads in pertinent part: The retirement pension benefits of any member, and the annuity benefits of any eligible survivor of a deceased member, shall be adjusted according to the following: A. For (1) any member hired prior to August 1, 1972, (2) any member hired on or after August 1, 1972 and prior to August 1, 1979 who does not elect to be covered by Section 3.36.020(A)(11)(c)(ii) (pertaining to normal service retirement after twenty-five years of active service), and (3) the eligible survivors of a deceased member falling into category (1) or (2), the pension benefits for service retirement or disability retirement being paid to the member, or the annuity benefits being paid to eligible survivor(s) of such a deceased member, shall be adjusted according to the following: 1. Each retired member's pension shall be increased by the same percentage as any increase in the pay scale for members of the same rank and years of service who are on active duty. If no increase in the pay scale for members of the same rank and years of service who are on active duty is provided in the annual budget, then the member's pension shall be increased, effective July 1st of that year, by such cost of living adjustment as the City Council, in its discretion, shall provide by resolution. If the member had elected to be covered under the normal service retirement benefit formula described in Section 3.36.040(A)(2), the annual adjustment to the member's retirement benefit shall not exceed four percent of the amount of the annuity the member was receiving immediately before the date the adjustment is made. (Emphasis added.)