Auditor General DePasquale Releases Pension Plan Audits for Municipalities in Twenty-Two Counties

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 14 -- The Pennsylvania Auditor General issued the following news release:

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today released audits of municipal employee pension plans in Allegheny, Beaver, Bucks, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Indiana, Jefferson, Lancaster, Lawrence, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montgomery, Northampton, Schuylkill, Somerset, Snyder, Venango, Westmoreland and Wyoming counties.

State pension aid for police, firefighters and non-uniformed municipal employee pensions is provided from a two-percent tax on out-of-state casualty insurance premiums, a portion of the out-of-state fire insurance tax designated for paid firefighters, and any investment income earned on the collection of these taxes.

The objectives of pension plan audits are to determine, for the selected audit period, if the municipality complied with any prior audit recommendations and if the municipal pension plan is in compliance with applicable state laws, regulations, contracts, administrative procedures, and local ordinances and policies.

Specifically, department auditors review issues including whether:

* state aid was properly determined and deposited according to the requirements of the Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard and Recovery Act;

* employer contributions were determined and deposited in compliance with the plan's governing document and applicable state laws and regulations;

* employee contributions are required, and if so, whether they were properly determined and deposited into the pension plan;

* benefit payments were properly made only to those entitled to receive them;

* obligations for plan benefits were accurately determined under plan provisions and based upon complete and accurate participant data; and

* actuarial valuation reports were sent to the Public Employee Retirement Commission in accordance with state law and selected information provided on these reports is accurate, complete and in accordance with plan provisions to ensure compliance for participation in the state aid program.

The following audit reports are available online at: www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/MunPen.html.

Allegheny

* Duquesne City Comprehensive Municipal Pension Trust Fund

* McCandless Town Active Nonuniformed Pension Plan

* McCandless Town Police Pension Plan

* Wilmerding Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Beaver

* Bridgewater Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan

* Bridgewater Borough Police Pension Plan

* Greene Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

* Greene Township Nonuniformed Union Pension Plan

Bucks

* Morrisville Borough Nonuniformed Employees Pension Plan

* Morrisville Borough Police Pension Plan

Clinton

* Castanea Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Columbia

* Hemlock Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

* Hemlock Township Police Pension Plan

* Orangeville Area Police Board Pension Plan

Cumberland

* Upper Allen Township Employees Pension Plan

* Upper Allen Township Police Pension Plan

Dauphin

* Paxtang Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan

* Paxtang Borough Police Pension Plan

Delaware

* Aston Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

* Aston Township Police Pension Plan

Indiana

* Blairsville/Indiana Council of Governments Employees Pension Plan

Jefferson

* Eldred Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Lancaster

* Clay Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

* Clay Township Police Pension Plan

* Marietta Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Lawrence

* New Wilmington Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan

* New Wilmington Borough Police Pension Plan

Luzerne

* Union Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Lycoming

* Muncy Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan

* Muncy Borough Police Pension Plan

Montgomery

* Bryn Athyn Police Pension Plan

* Pennsburg Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Northampton

* Bath Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Schuylkill

* Tremont Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan

* Tremont Borough Police Pension Plan

Somerset

* Shade Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

* Shade Township Police Pension Plan

Snyder

* Beavertown Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Venango

* Oil Creek Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

Westmoreland

* Avonmore Borough Nonuniformed Pension Plan

* Avonmore Borough Police Pension Plan

Wyoming

* Monroe Township Nonuniformed Pension Plan

CC AutoTriage4psi-140215-30VitinMar-4639115