Elected Officials

Elected Official Provisions

Membership

State and county elected officials are eligible for membership in OPERS as Elected Officials. Municipal elected officials (e.g. city clerks) participate in OPERS under the non-elected member (state and local government employee) provisions, if they meet the non-elected member eligibility requirements.

Participation is mandatory for state elected officials first elected after November 1, 2015 with prior OPERS service.

For a state elected official first elected before November 1, 2015 or a county elected official, participation in OPERS is not mandatory, but must be determined within 90 days after taking office. Choosing to participate in OPERS is irrevocable. Elected officials must continue membership throughout the term of office or any subsequent terms of office or any employment with a participating OPERS employer.

A member who has retired from OPERS and is returning to work as an elected official must participate in OPERS. They cannot opt out of participation in the new elected position.

Contribution Rate & Computation Factor

Members who are first elected or appointed to elected office on or after November 1, 2011, will participate at the same contribution rate and have their benefits calculated using the same computation factor as other state and local government employees.

OFFICIALS ELECTED AFTER NOVEMBER 1, 2011

Officials elected prior to November 1, 2011, selected a contribution rate and corresponding computation factor used to determine the official’s retirement benefits. Officials elected on or after November 1, 2011 may only participate at the indicated contribution rate and computation factor. The contribution rates are given in the following table.

OFFICIALS ELECTED PRIOR TO NOVEMBER 1, 2011

Elected officials initially elected or appointed between November 1, 2010, and October 31, 2011, may only participate at the 4.5% or 10.0% contribution rates and 1.9% and 4.0% computation factors, respectively.

BENEFIT FORMULA

Your future retirement benefit is based on a three-part formula as follows:

Highest Annual Compensation x Computation Factor x Years of Elected Service

That number will be divided by 12 to determine your monthly benefit amount.

In 2011, the legislature passed a bill providing that member first elected or appointed to elected office on or after November 1, 2011, will have their benefits calculated using the same computation factor as other state and local government employees

• If you became a member between November 1, 2011 and July 1, 2013, your final average salary is the average of your compensation during your highest three years out of the last 10 years of participating service prior to retirement.
• If you became a member on or after July 1, 2013, your final average salary is the average of your highest five years out of the last 10 years of participating service prior to retirement.

Retirement Eligibility

Elected Officials have eligibility for normal or early retirement based on certain criteria such as age and years of service. If you don’t have enough elected official service, but have at least six years of full time equivalent service, you may retire under regular state or local provisions. 

RETIREMENT OPTIONS

Elected officials will select a retirement option when they retire. 

In addition, an Elected Official’s Maximum Benefit plan includes a one-half survivor benefit to their spouse. This one-half survivor benefit is payable to the official’s surviving spouse, provided:

A. The elected official had six full years of participating service as an elected official if elected or appointed after July 1, 1990, or eight years as an elected official if elected or appointed after November 1, 2011; and,

B. The official was married to the spouse for three continuous years preceding death.
Effective November 1, 2017, remarriage of the spouse will not disqualify them from receipt of the survivor’s benefit under the Maximum Benefit plan.

RETurning to work AS A NON-ELECTED OFFICIAL

If an elected official returns to participation as a non-elected official prior to retirement, they will not be eligible to retire as an elected official under the elected official eligibility provisions and will not have an opportunity to receive the Maximum benefit with the one-half survivor annuity. The benefits of a member who served as an elected official, but is retiring as a non-elected member, will be calculated in two parts, elected and non-elected, and then be added together to form one benefit. However, the monthly benefit will be calculated on the formula for non-elected participating service benefits if the benefit would be higher than the benefit calculated under the elected official formula for benefits. 

Step-Up

Members first elected or appointed to office on or after November 1, 2011, may make an irrevocable election to increase or “step-up” their benefit computation factor from 2.0% to 2.5%. Members are required to make an additional retirement contribution to “step-up” their retirement benefit. Currently, this actuarially determined amount is an additional 2.91% of the compensation for retirement purposes. To determine the Step-Up contribution rate, add an additional 2.91% to the current retirement contribution rate. These rates could change in the future.

For more information about Step-Up, see The 2.5% Step-up Program.

Eligibility for a Vested Benefit

Vesting means you have enough service to earn a future retirement benefit. An elected official who has eight full years (or six full years if elected or appointed before November 1, 2011) of participating service and permanently terminates employment with any participating employer may draw a future vested lifetime benefit or may elect to withdraw their accumulated contributions without interest. If the member returns to a non-elected position in the future, they can only retire under the plan provisions for that position. This may mean different eligibility requirements and benefit options.