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Council approves Kroger opioid settlement participation, casts TAD votes and adopts TMRS increase
Summary
Edmond City Council approved participation in the Kroger Texas opioid sub‑settlement, cast all three of its appraisal‑district votes for Gary Lasada, and adopted an ordinance raising the TMRS employee contribution rate from 5% to 6%. Several routine items and staff reports were also approved.
The Edmond City Council approved several measures at its December meeting, including joining the Kroger Texas opioid sub‑settlement, casting its three appraisal‑district votes for Gary Lasada, and adopting changes to the city’s Municipal Retirement System that raise the employee contribution rate to 6 percent.
Council voted to authorize the city manager to sign the Kroger participation and release form under Resolution No. 2024‑12‑01. Staff said Kroger’s settlement share is modest but warned that failing to join now would forfeit any share of future Kroger settlements. Officials said settlement proceeds are restricted and must be used for law‑enforcement or qualifying health programs related to opioid response. The motion passed with Place 3, Place 4, Place 5, Place 6 and the Mayor voting “Aye.”
Under Resolution No. 2024‑12‑02 the council cast all three of its available votes for candidate Gary Lasada for the Terrence Appraisal District Board of Directors. A council motion specified that all three votes be allocated to Lasada; the motion passed on a roll call with Place 3, Place 4, Place 5, Place 6 and the Mayor recorded as “Aye.”
The council also passed Ordinance No. 825 to amend the city’s participation in the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS). The ordinance increases the employee contribution rate from 5 percent to 6 percent, adopts rules permitting annually accruing service credits and cost‑of‑living adjustments for retirees, and authorizes actuarially determined city contribution payments. Staff told the council the change is budgeted for fiscal year 2025 and will take effect Jan. 1; officials estimated an approximate budgetary impact of $600,000 per year and described a larger actuarial liability if changes beyond 6 percent are later adopted. The ordinance passed on roll call with Place 3, Place 4, Place 5, Place 6 and the Mayor voting “Aye.”
Other procedural items approved during the meeting included routine consent minutes and acceptance of October 2024 financials (approval recorded by roll call). Council also moved to table consideration of appointments to various boards and commissions; staff said the senior citizen advisory board still had one vacancy and outreach is ongoing.
The meeting record shows votes in the form the council uses aloud during roll call: Place 3, Place 4, Place 5, Place 6 and Mayor (each saying “Aye” where noted). No recorded roll calls in the transcript showed any ‘No’ votes except for the October financials where Place 3 was recorded as voting “No.”
Next steps: settlement participation requires staff execution of the participation/release form; TMRS changes take effect Jan. 1 and would require a future ordinance if the council wishes to change the rate again. The appointments item will be revisited when council takes action on vacancies.
