Chapter 23559, Laws of Florida of 1945, as amended, the Retirement Plan, has two Divisions. Division A consists of those employees hired prior to October 1, 1981. Division B consists of those employees who were hired on or after October 1, 1981, and Division A employees who elected Division B.

The following chart gives only a brief overview of the benefits of each Division as of October 1, 2006, going forward and does not encompass all of the benefits of each Division.

BENEFIT DESCRIPTION	DIVISION A Hired prior to October 1, 1981	DIVISION B Hired on or after October 1, 1981.
Vesting Period	6 Years Minimum	6 Years Minimum
Normal Retirement Age	55 Years Minimum	62 Years Minimum
Employee Contributions	7% of salary pretax to Retirement Fund, no contribution to Social Security	Percentage set by Social Security, no City contribution
Monthly Pension Calculations	(call for current info)	(call for current info)
Maximum Years Service	30 years or 67.5 percent of salary	Per Social Security Regulations
Deferred Retirement	May defer retirement to age 55, or take lump sum refund of contributions	May defer retirement to age 62 if younger than 62, except that someone who is 55 or older and younger than 62 has the option of an immediate monthly pension, reduced because of his or her age
Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)	2.2% every January 1st.	1.2% every January 1st; Social Security COLA regulated by the Social Security Administration.
Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) Benefits	DROP accumulations for a maximum of 7 years provided requirements for longevity retirement have been met.	DROP accumulation for a maximum of 7 years provided requirement for longevity retirement, or early retirement have been met.
Disability Retirement	Retirement at an age younger than 55; participant's monthly pension checks start immediately regardless of his/her age; has be to be based on a total and permanent disablement.	Retirement at an age younger than 62; participant's monthly pension checks start immediately regardless of his/her age; has to be based on a total and permanent disablement.
Death Benefits	Spouse receives 75% (50% if remarries), plus children under 18 receive $100 per month.	Spouse receives 50% per month; no decrease for remarriage; contact Social Security Administration for benefit information.

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