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Wheat Ridge amends police pension plan, adds recruits and raises employer contribution
Summary
Council amended the city code to allow police recruits to join the sworn police pension plan immediately and approved a resolution to increase the city's pension contribution to sworn officers by 0.5 percentage points (to 12.5%) while lowering normal retirement age to 50; the extra contribution will be paid from forfeited funds, the city said.
WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — The Wheat Ridge City Council on Jan. 27 approved two related changes affecting the police pension plan: an ordinance allowing recruits to enroll in the sworn police pension plan immediately upon hiring and a resolution amending the sworn plan adoption agreement to increase the city's contribution and lower the normal retirement age for sworn employees.
Council Bill 04-2025 amends the city's code so recruits entering the academy are no longer placed in the civilian plan for the six-month academy period. Deputy city staff explained that the prior practice required administrative transfers once recruits became sworn officers, which created errors and caused some employees to forfeit employer vesting credits. The ordinance will allow recruits entering the July academy class (staff projection) to be enrolled directly in the sworn police pension plan, reducing administrative burden and protecting employees' vesting status.
Related pension changes: Resolution 07-2025 increases the city's contribution to sworn employees' pension from 12% to 12.5% and lowers the plan's normal retirement age from 55 to 50—the latter aligning the plan with IRS guidance for public safety employees. City staff said the 0.5% increase will be funded by release of forfeiture funds accumulated when employees leave service; staff and the Police Pension Board recommended the change to remain competitive with neighboring jurisdictions and to preserve benefits.
Council action: Councilor Ohm moved approval of the code amendment allowing recruits into the sworn plan; Councilor Hoppe seconded. The ordinance passed unanimously. Council then approved the pension adoption agreement amendment by resolution—also unanimously.
Why it matters: Staff said the two actions simplify pension administration, avoid accidental loss of employer vesting credits for recruits, and modestly increase the city's retirement contribution for sworn officers while conforming retirement-age rules to public-safety norms.
Implementation: The recruit-enrollment change is expected to begin with the July academy class; staff said the pension contribution increase will be offset by forfeiture-release funds and that other implementation steps will be managed in coordination with the Police Pension Board and payroll staff.
