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Apopka council advances pension plan changes: higher multiplier for general employees and technical police/fire updates
Summary
Council approved first readings of pension amendments that raise the general-employee benefit multiplier (2.75% to 3.0%) with a member contribution increase and adopted technical updates to police and fire plans to comply with SECURE Act 2. Mayor Nelson abstained on the general‑employee vote.
On Dec. 3 the Apopka City Council moved several pension-related ordinances forward. Frank Mega, plan administrator, told the council that general employees overwhelmingly favored an increase in the retirement benefit multiplier from 2.75% to 3.0% in an employee survey; the change would be paired with an increase in member contributions from 4.9% to 5.5%.
Mega and staff presented an impact study showing the prorated city cost for the remainder of the year would be roughly $240,000, and the employee share about $82,500. Councilmembers questioned budget treatment; staff said they would either propose a budget amendment at the second reading or absorb the cost through vacancy savings and attrition. Commissioner Anderson raised the possibility of recusal because commissioners are in the general‑employee pool; staff noted a statutory carve-out commonly applies to salary/benefit votes but that a commissioner may still choose to recuse.
The council approved the first reading of Ordinance 31-44 (general employees retirement system amendment). The motion was moved by Commissioner Anderson and seconded by Commissioner Smith; Mayor Brian Nelson recorded an abstention.
Separately, plan administrator Frank Mega presented Ordinance 31-48 (police officers retirement system) and Ordinance 31-49 (firefighters retirement system) to align plan documents with the federal SECURE Act 2 changes to required minimum distribution ages. Staff described these as technical amendments with no funding impact; council approved the necessary first-reading/adoption steps for those items.
Council directed staff to return with final budget details and said the pension plan attorney and finance staff will provide the formal documentation for the second readings.
