The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund is created by Illinois law under Article 7 of the Illinois Pension Code (Illinois Compiled Statutes, Ch. 40, 5/7-101 to 5/7-225.
A separate benefit level is provided for county sheriffs and their deputies, certain forest preserve district rangers, certain airport authority police and certain police chiefs. This Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Personnel (SLEP) plan is described in Section 5/7-109.3 and 5/7-142.1
A separate benefit level is also provided for certain elected county officials. This Elected County Official (ECO) plan was closed on August 8, 2011. It is available only to elected county officials who were participating in the plan as of that date.
Under the Regular Plan
The Pension Code specifies which units of government are required to be under IMRF and which units may choose whether or not they wish to join. The following are required to participate:
All counties, except Cook.
All school districts, except Chicago, and
All cities, villages, and incorporated towns with a population of more than 5,000 which did not provide Social Security coverage for their employees before they reached a population of 5,000, except Chicago.
Under the Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Personnel (SLEP) plan
The Pension Code specifies that counties (other than Cook) participate in SLEP. Forest preserve districts, airport authorities, and certain municipalities may participate in SLEP.
Members of this plan contribute an additional 3% (for a total of 7.5%, 6.5% prior to June 1, 2006) of their earnings for an increased pension amount. SLEP currently covers 101 counties, three forest preserve districts and certain municipalities and has a membership of more than 3,000 participating sheriffs, deputies and forest preserve district rangers and certain police chiefs.
When a unit of government joins IMRF, that unit is referred to as an “IMRF employer.” A glossary can be found at the end of this section which provides definitions for commonly used IMRF terms.
When an employee joins IMRF, he or she is referred to as an IMRF member. The Illinois Pension Code determines which persons are eligible for IMRF coverage. It provides the program for contributions by employers and members as well as retirement pensions and other benefits.
1. Plan Tiers
P.A. 96-0889 created a second tier of benefits for IMRF’s Regular and Elected County Official (ECO) plans. Effective January 1, 2011, IMRF will assign a benefit tier to an employee when he/she is enrolled in IMRF. (The ECO plan was closed to new members effective August 8, 2011. See 6.10F. Election of Elected County Official to Participate in ECO.)
P.A. 96-1495 created a second tier of benefits for IMRF’s SLEP Tier 2 plan. Effective January 1, 2011, IMRF will assign a benefit ”tier” to an employee when he/she is enrolled in IMRF’s SLEP plan.
The plan tier is based on the member’s participation date.
Tier 1: Members enrolled in any IMRF plan before January 1, 2011. If a Tier 1 member:
Stops participating in IMRF and is again enrolled in IMRF, the member will participate in Tier 1.
Changes IMRF employers, the member will participate in Tier 1.
Terminates participation, takes a refund of his or her contributions and is later enrolled in IMRF, the member will participate in Tier 1. (Member is not required to pay back the refund)
Tier 2: Members first enrolled in IMRF on or after January 1, 2011:
EXCEPTIONS: Members enrolled in IMRF after December 31, 2010, will participate in Tier 1 if the member:
Previously participated in IMRF or in a Reciprocal retirement system, (except the judges or General Assembly retirement systems) even if the member took a refund of his or her contributions and has not yet repaid the refund.
or
Purchases omitted service credit that creates a participation date before January 1, 2011.
SLEP Tier 2 Participation - A member may have participated in the Regular or ECO plan, or in a reciprocal system, before January 1, 2011 as a Tier 1 member. However, if this Tier 1 member is first enrolled in SLEP on or after January 1, 2011 the member will participate in SLEP Tier 2.
IMRF is governed by an eight-member Board of Trustees serving staggered five-year terms. Four members are elected by participating units of government (by employers), three are elected by members in participating status, and one trustee is elected by IMRF annuitants (individuals receiving an IMRF pension).
The IMRF Board of Trustees meets monthly, occasionally for more than one day, and frequently at other times. Board meetings are held in IMRF’s Oak Brook office. Board members receive no compensation, but are reimbursed for expenses incurred in attending meetings and performing duties on behalf of IMRF.
The Executive Director is appointed by the Board of Trustees to perform administrative functions and to supervise IMRF staff. The Board also appoints medical and investment counsel, an actuary, and an auditor. The State Treasurer is, by law, ex-officio treasurer of IMRF.
The Board of Trustees and its staff administers IMRF under the Illinois Pension Code as adopted by the General Assembly and approved by the Governor. It does not have the discretion to make changes in the law, excuse persons from participating, or change the amount of benefits paid or eligibility standards.
The Illinois Pension Code provides that it ”shall not cause compulsory retirement of any member nor give any member any specific right to remain in service” (40 ILCS 5/7-218). Separation and retirement practices are not established by IMRF. They are governed by federal and state law, individual employer policies, and labor agreements.
In addition, several parts of the IMRF benefit plan are subject to employer option. That is, a unit of government must pass a resolution adopting the benefit, such as the Early Retirement Incentive.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is intended to ensure that members of the public have access to information about their government and their decision-making process. It requires all public bodies, including IMRF, to make their public records available for inspection and copying.
Under the FOIA, all records of a public body, like IMRF, are presumed to be open for inspection and copying. However, the FOIA also permits certain records to be withheld from inspection. If IMRF receives a FOIA request for information that under FOIA is considered open, IMRF is required by law to comply with that request.
IMRF records consist of information about our members and employers as well as our investment portfolio.
Detailed information on requesting FOIA information from IMRF, including costs and timelines, can be found in IMRF's Freedom of Information Act Booklet. You can also use Form 2.90, Request for Information or Records Pursuant to the State of Illinois Freedom of Information Act.