County looks to boost emergency employees’ retirement
Staff writer
County commissioners are considering upgrading sheriff’s office and emergency medical service employees’ retirement accounts to a more lucrative plan.
The employees are now enrolled in Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.
Commissioners have been asked several times to switch them to a KPERS program specifically for police, fire, and EMS employees. The program is more expensive, and previous commissioners have declined the move.
On Monday, they took up the discussion again, in a move that commissioner Dave Crofoot said they hope would help with recruitment.
After the resignation of ambulance director Chuck Kenney, a potential new director told Crofoot he wanted a Kansas Police and Fire retirement account.
Under the program, called KP&F, larger contributions would be made to employees’ retirement plan and they would get more generous benefits when they retire.
With the county’s existing retirement plan, the employee contributes 6% to the plan. With KP&F, that contribution is 7.15%. If the employee leaves their job, they can withdraw their money.
The county now pays 10.71% to KPERS on the behalf of the employee. With KP&F, the county would contribute 24.67%, but rates for 2026 have not been announced.
Members earn 4% interest on the contribution account.
Employees under KP&F are paid a higher monthly retirement amount.
The final average salary for employee retirement is different between the two plans. Under KPERS, final salary is calculated from an average of three to five years. With KP&F, final average salary is averaged from the three highest of the final five years of employment.
Although the age at with an employee reaches full retirement eligibility varies within each plan, employees enrolled in KP&F may reach retirement eligibility as early as 50 if they have worked 20 years.
If the county opts for KP&F, the decision is irrevocable, county administrator Tina Spencer said.
Spencer doesn’t know how many employees would fit into the plan.
She doesn’t know whether sheriff’s office employees such as jailers would qualify.
Whatever the cost is for taxpayers, it’s likely to increase.
The county recently bought land north of Peabody to build an ambulance station. Ideally, three paramedics and three emergency medical technicians would be hired for that station, Spencer said.
The county pays KPERS for 15 ambulance employees, so when a new ambulance station is in operation, that would add six more employees for whom to pay retirement benefits.
Spencer said she estimated KP&F retirement would increase costs to the county, based on the number of employees already employed, by $300,000.
Since the county already spends $792,000 on KPERS, adding KP&F would bring the county’s retirement expenses to $1.092 million.
Employees being switched to KP&F could choose to purchase credit for their previous KPERS years. Commissioners would need to decide whether employees should pay that cost or whether the county would pay it.
Commissioner Kent Becker said the issue should be discussed again as the county maps out its 2026 budget.
“I think if we can make the budget fit, we’re going to do it,” commission chairman Jonah Gehring said.