Auditor General DePasquale Releases Pension Plan Audits for Municipalities in Eighteen Counties

October 28 2013

Auditor General DePasquale Releases Pension Plan Audits for Municipalities in Eighteen Counties

HARRISBURG (Oct. 28, 2013)– Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today released audits of municipal employee pension plans in Cumberland, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lehigh, Lycoming, Northumberland, Perry, Potter, Somerset, Union, Warren, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York counties.

State pension aid for police, firefighters and non-uniformed municipal employee pensions is provided from a two-percent tax on out-of-state casualty insurance premiums, a portion of the out-of-state fire insurance tax designated for paid firefighters, and any investment income earned on the collection of these taxes.

The objectives of pension plan audits are to determine, for the selected audit period, if the municipality complied with any prior audit recommendations and if the municipal pension plan is in compliance with applicable state laws, regulations, contracts, administrative procedures, and local ordinances and policies.

Specifically, department auditors review issues including whether:

• state aid was properly determined and deposited according to the requirements of the Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard and Recovery Act;
• employer contributions were determined and deposited in compliance with the plan’s governing document and applicable state laws and regulations;
• employee contributions are required, and if so, whether they were properly determined and deposited into the pension plan;
• benefit payments were properly made only to those entitled to receive them; 
• obligations for plan benefits were accurately determined under plan provisions and based upon complete and accurate participant data; and
• actuarial valuation reports were sent to the Public Employee Retirement Commission in accordance with state law and selected information provided on these reports is accurate, complete and in accordance with plan provisions to ensure compliance for participation in the state aid program.

The following audit reports are available online at www.PaAuditor.gov/audit-reports:

Cumberland

• Silver Spring Township Nonuniformed Employees Pension Plan
• Silver Spring Township Police Pension Plan

Delaware

• Clifton Heights Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan
• Clifton Heights Borough Police Pension Plan
• Tinicum Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan
• Tinicum Township Police Pension Plan

Elk

• Ridgway Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Erie

• Venango Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Fayette

• Nicholson Township Nonuniformed Defined Contribution Pension Plan
• Nocholson Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Jefferson

• Brockway Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan
• Brockway Borough Police Pension Plan

Lawrence

• Ellwood City Borough Fireman’s Pension Plan
• Ellwood City Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan
• Ellwood City Borough Police Pension Plan

Lehigh

• Salisbury Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan
• Salisbury Township Police Pension Plan

Lycoming

• Muncy Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan
• Muncy Township Police Pension Plan 

Northumberland

• Coal Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan
• Coal Township Police Pension Plan
• Kulpmont Borough Police Pension Plan

Perry

• Newport Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan
• Newport Borough Police Pension Plan

Potter

• Ulysses Borough Nonuniformed Employees Pension Plan

Somerset

• Meyersdale Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan
• Meyersdale Borough Police Pension Plan

Union

• West Buffalo Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Warren

• Mead Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan
• Pine Grove Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Westmoreland

• Mount Pleasant Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Wyoming

• Washington Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

York

• Dover Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan
• Penn Township Firefighter’s Pension Plan
• Penn Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan
• Penn Township Police Pension Plan
• York Area Regional Police Department Nonuniformed Pension Plan
• York Area Regional Police Department Police Pension Plan

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