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Special Meeting Notice
January 29, 2025
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MPERS to Host Special Meeting for Municipalities Experiencing Enrollment and Contribution Issues on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 | |
A Commitment to Fairness and Compliance for All Municipalities
In alignment with the Louisiana Constitution’s purpose of ensuring justice, preserving peace, protecting rights, and promoting the general welfare of its people, the Louisiana Legislature established the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System (MPERS) on July 1, 1973. MPERS was created as a statewide public retirement system to provide retirement benefits and allowances for municipal police employees across Louisiana.
Initially, MPERS served primarily smaller municipalities, as larger cities had their own pension plans. Over time, these larger municipalities merged their plans into MPERS, and today, we proudly serve all Louisiana municipalities with police departments.
Currently, Louisiana has approximately 305 municipalities, with 200 (66%) actively contributing to MPERS. Notably, 38% of these municipalities have populations under 2,500. Enrollment in MPERS is mandatory, and all municipalities are required to budget for contributions for their eligible employees.
Since at least 2019, MPERS has worked diligently to address enrollment and contribution compliance. This ensures the system remains actuarially sound, adheres to federal laws, and minimizes employer contribution rates. Our efforts are paying off:
- Last fiscal year, MPERS’ membership grew by 131—a notable achievement for one of the most mature (retiree to active ratio) retirement plans in the state.
- By October 31, 2024, an additional 160 members were enrolled from previously noncompliant municipalities.
- The employer contribution rate for FY 2026 will decrease by 2.125%, even after an equivalent amount is applied to address longstanding liabilities.
These outcomes demonstrate the positive impact of compliance—not just for municipalities but for police officers and retirees who depend on these benefits. We are deeply committed to continuing this progress.
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Collaborating for Resolution
On December 18, 2024, MPERS’ Board of Trustees unanimously resolved to work collaboratively with municipalities, mayors, and their representatives to address enrollment and contribution issues. Our approach prioritizes fairness, minimizes costs and disruptions for municipalities, and safeguards the financial security of police officers.
To further these efforts, we have scheduled a special meeting on February 12, 2025, at 11:00 AM. During this meeting, we will address each municipality and its affected officers individually, aiming for fair and amicable resolutions.
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Our Commitment to Collaboration
The Board is fully committed to finding solutions that benefit everyone involved. While we are prepared to continue to pursue litigation if necessary, our preference is always to resolve these matters through mutual understanding and cooperation.
Importantly, we want to hear directly from mayors about the challenges they face. We have already worked with numerous municipalities to reach amicable settlements, including Angie, Basile, Baskin, Bernice, Campti, Chatham, Choudrant, Church Point, Cotton Valley, Delcambre, Dodson, Dry Prong, Dubach, Elizabeth, Fenton, Forest Hill, Gilbert, Gibsland, Gramercy, Hodge, Hornbeck, Mansura, Mermentau, Plaucheville, Port Barre, Rosepine, Sarepta, Sterlington, Sun, Vivian, Wisner, and Zwolle, and others. We encourage you to reach out to these municipalities to learn about their experiences.
We look forward to meeting face-to-face with the remaining municipalities and achieving similar resolutions. MPERS has sent proposed settlement agreements to several municipalities and is awaiting feedback. If your municipality has not received a settlement offer, please have your attorney contact Sheri Morris at smorris@daiglefisse.com.
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Key Information for Municipalities
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Attendance Options: If you cannot attend the meeting in person at our office or virtually, we strongly encourage negotiating a settlement with MPERS in advance for approval during the meeting.
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Next Steps If No Agreement is Reached: If an agreement cannot be finalized, hearings will be rescheduled, or litigation will proceed as necessary.
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Tentative Agreements: For settlements requiring council approval, MPERS will request court hearings to be scheduled after the respective council meetings.
Additionally, some municipalities have not yet provided complete records through October 31, 2024. If this applies to your municipality, we kindly request that these records be submitted as soon as possible.
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Moving Forward Together
We are confident that, through collaboration and mutual effort, we can resolve these issues in a manner that honors the responsibilities of all parties involved. Together, we can ensure that Louisiana’s police officers receive the benefits they are entitled to, while supporting municipalities in fulfilling their obligations.
Thank you for your attention and cooperation. We look forward to working with you to achieve a fair and positive resolution for all.
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7722 Office Park Boulevard, Suite 200
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809-7601
Phone: (800) 443-4248 or (225) 929-7411
Fax: (225) 929-6542
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