The Charles County Pension Plan (the "Plan") is a defined benefit plan sponsored by the County Commissioners of Charles County.

Participation is mandatory for an employee hired on or after July 1, 1991. An open enrollment period is held in November of each year to allow for an employee currently not enrolled in the plan to participate as of December 1 of that year.

Current participants may obtain additional information pertaining to your pension benefit online or via phone:

• Via Phone
  • Call Empower toll-free telephone service at 800-338-4015, to access your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Online
  •  Visit www.empowermyretirement.com

Employee Contributions

• The mandatory contribution level for participants in the County Public Safety Plan is 8% of your basic earnings.

• County Non-Public Safety:
  • The mandatory contribution level for participants in the County Non-Public Safety Plan is 4% of your basic earnings.
• County Public Safety
  • Emergency Services (Paramedic, Emergency Medical Technician EMT's, Mobile-Integrated Healthcare Program Manager, Mobile-Integrated Healthcare Supervisor, Emergency Medical Services Logistics Technician, Health and Safety Officer, Chief, Assistant Chief, Captain, or Lieutenant of Emergency Services)
  • Animal Control Services 

Employee contributions are made through payroll deduction on a pretax basis. 

Normal Retirement 

• County Non-Public Safety 
  • A participating employee is eligible to retire and begin collecting an annuity at age 62 with at least five (5) years of service or age 60 with at least 20 years of service.

• County Public Safety (Emergency Services, Animal Control Services)
  • A participating employee is eligible to retire and begin collecting an annuity after 25 years of service or upon reaching age 60.

Early Retirement

• County Non-Public Safety
  • An employee may request early retirement from the pension plan any time after attaining age 52. Participant who joined the plan prior to July 1, 1977, may request early retirement from the plan at age 50.

• County Public Safety (Emergency Services, Animal Control Services)  
  • An employee may request early retirement from the pension plan any time after 20 years of service.

Vesting

• County Non-Public Safety
  • Hire Date after July 1, 1997 – 100% after 5 Years of Service

• County Public Safety (Emergency Services, Animal Control Services)
  • Hire Date after July 1, 1997, and termination date prior to July 1, 2018 - 100%
    • after 20 Years of Service
  • Hire Date after July 1, 1997, and who reaches a termination date on or after July 1, 2018 - 100%
    • after 5 Years of Service

Credited Years of Service

• Years of Participation in the retirement plan.

Benefit Level

• County Non-Public Safety:
  • Years 1 – 5      =      1.50% of FAE
  • Years 6 – 10    =      1.75% of FAE
  • Years 11 – 15  =      2.00% of FAE
  • Years 16 – 20  =      2.25% of FAE
  • Years 20+        =      2.50% of FAE

• County Public Safety (Emergency Services, Animal Control Services)
  •  2.5% of FAE for all years of participation

Military Time Credit

• An employee may receive credit for up to 3 years of active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States as additional years of service when calculating their retirement benefit.

• The employee must be employed with the County for 10 years prior to receiving credit for the military service. The military service is not used to calculate eligibility for vesting or retirement.

• A participant may not receive additional service credit for Military service if the participant is entitled to receive a benefit (except for disability benefits, Social Security benefits or benefit under the National Railroad Retirement, National Guard or military reserve) from another retirement system, on account of the Military Service.

An employee’s retirement benefit would be calculated as follows:

• Final Average Earnings x Benefit Level x Credited Years of Service = Accrued Annual Benefit*
  
  *Accrued benefit may be actuarially reduced for an employee who was hired prior to July 1, 1997 and who retires with less than five (5) years of service and for an employee who retires with less than five (5) years of service and for an employee who retires early under the early retirement provision.
  
  

Termination of Employment

• Upon termination of employment with the County for any reason other than retirement, a participant in the pension plan will be entitled to a refund of their employee contributions to the pension plan plus any accrued interest.

• If at the time of termination, a participant is vested in the retirement plan, they may elect to leave the monies in the plan until attainment of normal retirement age at which time the employee could begin collecting a retirement annuity from the pension plan.

The Summary Plan Descriptions (SPD) below provide specific details and more information regarding the pension plan. To obtain a paper copy of the SPD, please contact the Department of Human Resources.

Pension Summary Plan Description for County Non-Public Safety Employees

Pension Summary Plan Description for County Public Safety (Emergency Services Employees)

Pension Summary Plan Description for County Public Safety (Animal Control Officers)

Charles County Pension Plan Document

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