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-37- NOTE 6 – DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLAN – STATE-WIDE (CONTINUED) B. Benefits Provided The PERA provides retirement, disability, and death benefits. Benefit provisions are established by state statutes and can only be modified by the State Legislature. Vested, terminated employees who are entitled to benefits but are not receiving them yet, are bound by the provisions in effect at the time they last terminated their public service. GERF Benefits Benefits are based on a member’s highest average salary for any five successive years of allowable service, age, and years of credit at termination of service. Two methods are used to compute benefits for the PERA’s Coordinated Plan members. Members hired prior to July 1, 1989, receive the higher of Method 1 or Method 2 formulas. Only Method 2 is used for members hired after June 30, 1989. Under Method 1, the accrual rate for Coordinated Plan members is 1.2 percent of average salary for each of the first 10 years of service, and 1.7 percent of average salary for each additional year. Under Method 2, the accrual rate for Coordinated Plan members is 1.7 percent of average salary for all years of service. For members hired prior to July 1, 1989, a full annuity is available when age plus years of service equal 90, and normal retirement age is 65. For members hired on or after July 1, 1989, normal retirement age is the age for unreduced Social Security benefits capped at age 66. Annuities, disability benefits, and survivor benefits are increased effective every January 1. Beginning January 1, 2019, the post-retirement increase will be equal to 50.0 percent of the cost of living adjustment (COLA) announced by the Social Security Administration, with a minimum increase of at least 1.0 percent and a maximum of 1.5 percent. Recipients that have been receiving the annuity or benefit for at least a full year as of the June 30 before the effective date of the increase, will receive the full increase. For recipients receiving the annuity or benefit for at least one month, but less than a full year as of the June 30 before the effective date of the increase, will receive a reduced prorated increase. For members retiring on January 1, 2024 or later, the increase will be delayed until normal retirement age (age 65 if hired prior to July 1, 1989, or age 66 for individuals hired on or after July 1, 1989). Members retiring under Rule of 90 are exempt from the delay to normal retirement. C. Contributions Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 353 sets the rates for employer and employee contributions. Contribution rates can only be modified by the State Legislature. GERF Contributions Coordinated Plan members were required to contribute 6.5 percent of their annual covered salary in fiscal year 2020, and the City was required to contribute 7.5 percent for Coordinated Plan members. The City’s contributions to the GERF for the year ended December 31, 2020, were $134,798. The City’s contributions were equal to the required contributions as set by state statutes.