19-13-211. Election to join retirement system -- transfer of assets. (1) Except for cities with only volunteer firefighters, a city other than one described in 19-13-210 may, after July 1, 1981, elect to join the retirement system by passing an ordinance stating the election and the consent of the city to be bound by the provisions of this retirement system. The fire department relief association of the city may pass a resolution to the same effect. Upon the enactment of the ordinance and passage of the resolution, the provisions of this retirement system become applicable to the city. Any city that enacts an election ordinance and in which the fire department relief association passes a resolution shall send certified copies to the board and shall, as soon as possible, deposit into the pension trust fund all cash and securities held by its fire department relief association. The value of the securities must be determined by the board.

(2) The board of trustees of the fire department relief association as of the effective date of the election shall certify the proportion, if any, of the funds of the association that represents the accumulated contributions of the active members and the relative shares of the members as of that date. Following the transfer of the cash and securities required by subsection (1) and the certification required by this subsection, the fire department relief association may conclude its affairs. The shares of the members must be charged to the employer and credited to the respective members in the retirement system and administered as if the contributions had been made during membership in the retirement system. Any excess of employer credits over charges under this section must be offset, with interest, against future required employer contributions. Any excess of employer charges over credits under this section are payable by the employer, with interest, on a basis determined by the procedure described in 19-13-213.

History: En. Sec. 8, Ch. 566, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 209, Ch. 265, L. 1993; Sec. 19-13-108, MCA 1991; redes. 19-13-211 by Code Commissioner, 1993.