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Sheriff urges FPPA affiliation as commissioners weigh long-term costs and TABOR limits
Summary
Sheriff Jean Lillard and FPPA representatives outlined how a statewide Fire & Police Pension Association affiliation could aid recruitment and retention, while commissioners asked for legal and financial analysis—including TABOR implications—before taking steps toward affiliation.
Sheriff Jean Lillard urged the Montrose County Board of County Commissioners on Monday to explore affiliating the sheriff’s office with the Fire & Police Pension Association of Colorado (FPPA), saying the pension package would help recruit and retain deputies.
FPPA presenters led by Beth Hemonway, director of relationship management, told commissioners the statewide plan is a defined‑benefit system designed for public safety careers and governed by state statute. Stefan Raschetti and Nicole Moody walked the board through contribution mechanics: member and employer contributions that currently total roughly 6 percent for the social‑security component, plus an affiliation continuing cost the presenters said could be about 1.9 percent and which can be adjusted or shared between employer and employee. FPPA staff said the plan has actuarial safeguards and that, by statute, employers are not directly liable for any plan‑level unfunded liability.
Sheriff Lillard said the affiliation would be a meaningful recruitment tool and cited an example of deputies leaving for agencies with FPPA benefits. He reported the department currently fields roughly 26 deputies and described that staffing level as far below national benchmarks. “We have to find a way,” he said, arguing the benefit would let deputies retire earlier and make careers more sustainable.
Commissioners pressed for detail on long‑term fiscal exposure and how TABOR (Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights) and county revenue restrictions could affect any multi‑year obligation. One commissioner said FPPA’s continuing contribution rate and how it might change after 2030 raised questions about county control and future liability. Board members asked county legal and finance staff to evaluate TABOR implications, potential voter options, de‑brucing mechanisms, and the effect on the county budget before any formal action.
Several commissioners also raised practical concerns about employees’ ability to contribute the higher member share and whether current staff could opt to remain in the county’s existing plan while new hires joined FPPA. FPPA presenters said current employees typically may choose between staying in their local plan or affiliating, and that new hires after an effective affiliation date would be enrolled under the statewide component.
The board did not vote. Commissioners directed staff to schedule follow‑up briefings, including an executive session with legal counsel and finance staff, and to convene further conversations with deputies and the sheriff’s office to model fiscal scenarios and workforce impacts.
