2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

H. Deferred Compensation The City offers all of its employees a Deferred Compensation Plan (Plan) in accordance with Internal Revenue Code Section 457 and 401. The Plan, available to permanent City employees, permits them to defer a portion of their salary until future years. The deferred compensation is not available to employees until termination, retirement, death or unforeseeable emergency. The City has complied with changes in laws which govern the City’s Plan, requiring all assets of the Plan to be held in trust, custodial accounts or into annuity contracts for the exclusive benefit of participants and their beneficiaries. Effective January 1, 1999, the City entered in a trust arrangement in compliance with GASB Statement No. 32, Accounting and Financial Reporting for Internal Code Section 457 Deferred Compensation Plans . All transactions are administered by third party administrators and accordingly, Plan assets are not included in the City’s financial statements. The City contributes 3.25% of salary for participating full time employees to the 401(a) Plan. The City also contributes an additional 1.75% to a 401(a) plan prior to FICA deduction of salary if applicable, for those engaged in firefighting, if firefighters choose to defer at least 1.75% of their salary, as well. Those employees engaged in law enforcement may participate in the 457 Plan, however, no City contributions are made on their behalf, but instead, the City contributes 5% of salary to the 401(k) Defined Contribution Pension Plan. All employees may defer amounts in the 457 Plan, administered by ICMA- Retirement Corporation, and the 401(k) Plan, administered by Prudential Retirement for the State of North Carolina and its subdivisions, up to the maximum allowed by the Internal Revenue Service each year. The employee receives credit for his contribution as well as the City’s, and benefits are based on the total assets owned in the employee’s individual accounts. The fair market value of the deferred compensation accounts of employees through the year ended June 30, 2020 was $174,628,381 consisting of $115,068,520 (457), $38,196,532 (401(a)), and $21,363,329 (401(k)). I. Pension Plan Obligations 1. Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System Plan Description The City of Greensboro is a participating employer in the statewide Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System (LGERS), a cost-sharing multiple-employer defined benefit pension plan administered by the State of North Carolina. LGERS membership is comprised of general employees and local law enforcement officers (LEOs) of participating local governmental entities. Benefit provisions are established by GS 128-27. Article 3 of GS Chapter 128 assigns the authority to amend benefit provisions to the North Carolina General Assembly. Management of the plan is vested in the LGERS Board of Trustees, which consists of 13 members – nine appointed by the Governor, one appointed by the State Senate, one appointed by the State House of Representatives, and the State Treasurer and State Superintendent, who serve as ex-officio members. The Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System is included in the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the State of North Carolina. The State’s CAFR includes financial statements and required supplementary information for LGERS. That report may be obtained by writing to the Office of the State Controller, 1410 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1410, by calling (919) 981-5454, or at www.osc.nc.gov. Benefits Provided LGERS provides retirement and survivor benefits. Retirement benefits are determined as 1.85% of the member’s average final compensation times the member’s years of creditable service. A member’s average final compensation is calculated as the average of a member’s four highest consecutive years of compensation. Plan members are eligible to retire with full retirement benefits at age 65 with five years of creditable service, at age 60 with 25 years of creditable service, or at any age with 30 years of creditable service. Plan members are eligible to retire with partial retirement benefits at age 50 with 20 years of creditable service or at age 60 with five years of creditable service (age 55 for firefighters). Survivor benefits are available to eligible beneficiaries of members who die while in active service or within 180 days of their last day of service and who have either completed 20 years of creditable service regardless of age (15 years of creditable service for firefighters and rescue squad members who are killed in the line of duty) or have completed five years of service and have reached age 60. Eligible beneficiaries may elect to receive a monthly Survivor’s Alternate Benefit for life or return of the member’s contributions. The plan does not provide for automatic post-retirement benefit increases. Increases are contingent upon actuarial gains of the plan. LGERS plan members who are LEOs are eligible to retire with full retirement benefits at age 55 with five years of creditable service as an officer, or at any age with 30 years of creditable service. LEO plan members are eligible to retire with partial 37pp