Pender County reports progress on EMS-fire consolidation but employees seek clarity on pensions

Pender County officials on Feb. 17 told the Board of Commissioners the county’s consolidation of emergency medical services and fire operations is advancing on schedule but left unresolved questions about how employees’ retirement benefits will transfer.

Chief Grayson, who is leading the transition team, said the joint group meets twice monthly and has worked with the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Office of EMS and legal counsel. He said the merger efforts are organized around a task list tied to a memorandum of understanding that the board previously approved and that most items are on track to be completed before the formal merger date, while some will continue afterward. Grayson said the team will provide quarterly updates and is moving to monthly meetings closer to the July 1 transition date.

Commissioners and attendees pressed staff on the retirement implications for workers moving from Pender EMS & Fire into county employment. County staff, including Sarah Fulton and HR representatives, said employees moving into the North Carolina Local Government Employees' Retirement System (LGERS) after July 1 cannot automatically receive LGERS service credit for time worked under Pender EMS & Fire because they were not previously participants in that system. Staff said the county will "acknowledge years of service" for longevity purposes where possible, will help employees roll over 401(k) balances, and will review options for employees who formerly had a defined‑benefit plan that was frozen.

Miss Blue, representing HR/finance workgroups, said that employees who were in the defined‑benefit plan were offered either lump‑sum buyouts or annuities from the prior employer; those arrangements, she said, would continue to provide retirement income. She said employees can also "buy back" prior service into LGERS in some cases but that the option can be expensive and is not automatically available to all employees. Staff acknowledged that a small number of long‑tenured employees approaching retirement remain concerned that a required five‑year vesting period in LGERS could effectively delay or reduce benefits, and they said HR and finance work groups would examine mechanisms the county could use to address those gaps.

Commissioner questions led staff to agree to identify which employees fall into at‑risk windows and to discuss those cases at the next HR work group meeting. Several commissioners urged staff to schedule a dedicated follow‑up meeting on personnel and retirement issues and to provide clear written guidance to affected employees.

The presentation included no formal board action beyond the briefing and a commitment to follow up; staff said any budgetary changes necessary to implement retirement accommodations would return to the board during the annual budget process.

Ending: County staff promised quarterly public updates on the merger and follow‑up meetings with HR to address retirement questions, while acknowledging some items will require budget decisions in the regular appropriations cycle.