The Wichita Falls City Council on Aug. 5 approved an updated Funding Soundness Restoration Plan for the Wichita Falls Firemen’s Relief and Retirement Fund and voted to raise the city’s employer contribution rate from 17.5% to 18% effective Jan. 1, 2026. The ordinance directs the city to submit the plan to the Texas Pension Review Board.

Council and staff said the change is intended to meet a required amortization period of 30 years or less. "Oh, the 30 years is required," City staff member Steve told the council during the discussion, referring to the Pension Review Board requirement.

The nut of the approved plan is modest, staged increases: the city will start at 18% on Jan. 1, 2026, and staff said the plan commits the city to consider incremental increases of 0.5 percentage points in future years, up to 20% if actuary projections require it. Staff reported the amortization period had been reduced from about 56.7 years to about 36.7 years after prior changes and said the current plan plus the future contributions would bring the schedule to 30 years or under.

City staff said actuary runs were used to confirm the plan meets the Pension Review Board’s guidelines. Council voted on the ordinance after a motion and second; the mayor called for the voice vote and the motion passed.

The council did not identify individual vote tallies in the public record during the meeting; there was no public comment on the item. Staff said the plan will be filed with the state board within the next month.

Background: Wichita Falls fire pension changes were part of earlier work in late 2024 and have been the subject of multiple actuarial reviews, according to staff remarks. The ordinance approved is a plan submission and contribution-rate change; any future increases beyond the Jan. 1, 2026 step would require separate council action if implemented.