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La Plata council gives consensus to pursue LEOPS transfer for sworn officers
Summary
After extended debate about staffing, growth and long-term costs, La Plata council by consensus directed staff to proceed with Option A to transfer sworn officers into the Law Enforcement Officers’ Pension System (LEOPS) and to incorporate projected costs into the FY27 budget process.
Town staff and finance personnel presented a detailed analysis of the costs and workforce implications of transferring La Plata’s sworn officers from the State Employees’ Pension System to the Law Enforcement Officers’ Pension System (LEOPS). Staff described LEOPS benefits including earlier retirement eligibility and enhanced multipliers, and noted the stated rationale: improve recruitment and retention in a competitive market.
Finance modeling shown to council projected a substantial initial net increase in pension costs (staff cited roughly a $500,000 first-year net increase as a working estimate), with long-term growth as salaries and staffing expand. Town Treasurer Karina Larson and HR Director Monica Kennedy participated in the presentation; staff noted the projections use actuarial assumptions and that actual costs will vary with salary growth, staffing levels, investment returns and future credits the state applies to new entrants.
Councilmembers probed the report’s staffing and growth assumptions, asked for revenue-side projections tied to local development, questioned whether per-capita staffing was the correct model versus a workload model, and asked whether LEOPS membership is reversible. Staff said membership is effectively permanent unless state rules change and that the town would face ongoing obligations if it joins.
After discussion, the council expressed a consensus in favor of Option A (authorize transfer to LEOPS) and asked staff to incorporate the LEOPS implementation and projected costs into the FY27 budget process and to prepare a public record that includes revenue-growth forecasts and alternative staffing scenarios for budget hearings.
