At their meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 4, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to approve changes to all three county retirement systems, for employees hired on or after July 1, 2019 only.

These changes include eliminating the pre-Social Security Supplement from the Employees' and Uniformed systems and eliminating the one-time 3 percent calculated retirement annuity increase for all three plans. Changes also include the addition of a cost-neutral Early Age Option for employees who retire prior to full retirement age under Social Security.

The changes are intended to improve the system's long-term sustainability. Plan changes were also made in 2013, including changing minimum retirement age from 50 to 55 (and the rule of 80 to the rule of 85.) The Board requested another review of the systems this and staff presented a package of options in June that would apply only to employees hired on or after July 1, 2019, including:

• Increasing the salary averaging period from three to five years.
• Eliminating or limiting the pre-Social Security supplement.
• Eliminating the 3 percent calculated retirement annuity
• Increasing the minimum retirement age.
• Changing the rule of 85 (age plus years of service) to the rule of 90.

Increasing the minimum retirement age and changing the rule of 85 to the rule of 90 were taken out of consideration due to lack of support for the measures. The Board voted separately on three provisions of the package, agreeing unanimously to eliminate the Social Security supplement and in a 6-4 vote to eliminate the 3 percent calculated annuity increase. The salary averaging period increase failed on a tie vote. The changes will also result in the elimination of the previously available high and low plan options for new hires, with only one plan available with the start of the new fiscal year.

At a public hearing on the changes in November, more than 40 people testified on both sides of the issue, with employee groups, unions and others expressing concerns about the impact on hiring qualified employees and the risks of a two-tiered system, and others questioning the long-term viability of the system without changes.

More information about Fairfax County retirement systems is available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/retirement.