Brian Head to pay 5.98% retirement contribution for some public safety Tier II employees

The Brian Head Town Council on June 9 adopted Resolution 26-575, agreeing to pick up the 5.98% employee contribution required under subsection 49-23-301(2) as enacted in SB 56 (Public Safety and Firefighting Tier 2 Retirement Enhancements, 2020 General Session) for town employees participating in the Public Safety and Firefighter Tier II contributory retirement system. The resolution takes effect July 1, 2026.

Shane Williamson, Administrative Service Director, introduced the resolution and explained the history of the two-tier retirement change enacted by the Utah Legislature beginning in 2012. He described that Tier 1 provided more generous benefits (e.g., roughly 50% of top-three-year salary at 20 years), while the early Tier 2 transitional cohort received a reduced formula (approximately 37.5% at a later service point), a change that made recruitment and retention difficult.

Chief Dan Benson explained the practical effect on affected employees, noting that the Legislature later adjusted Tier 2 for hires after the transition but that employees hired during the brief transitional period remained in the lower-earning formula. Benson said the town's action to pick up the 5.98% employee contribution "is a meaningful way to partially offset the benefit disparity these employees face and to demonstrate the Town's commitment to retaining its public safety staff." Council Member Tidwell moved to adopt Resolution 26-575; Council Member Cruz seconded. The motion carried 4-0-0.

The resolution references statute and the 2020 session action (SB 56) in its language; the motion text adopted by the council specifically cites subsection 49-23-301(2). No further implementation detail or new funding source was specified in the meeting record; staff or council did not identify a separate ongoing funding mechanism beyond the council's vote to pick up the contribution.