Archived News

Non-Member Trustee Election

At the May 20, 2022 Nominations Committee meeting, Nancy Rocha, Anthony Scavuzzo and Marcus Smith were selected as the Nominations Committee’s slate of three Non-member Trustee candidates to be placed on the ballot. More information can be found here regarding the candidates.

The voting packets for the Non-member Trustee election will be mailed on June 22^nd to Members’ and Pensioners’ home addresses or emailed to members who have elected eCorrespondence. Voting begins at 8 a.m. on Thursday, June 23^rd and voting ends at noon on Wednesday, July 6^th.

All active members and pensioners are eligible to vote in the election for the Non-member Trustee positions.

The election is being conducted for DPFP by YesElections, an independent firm that specializes in such elections. DPFP has no access to the counting of votes and receives all final reporting from YesElections. For assistance with the voting process, contact YesElections at (866) 384-9978 or help+DPFPS@yeselections.com.

Ballots will be tallied by YesElections on Friday, July 8^th. Election results will be certified by the DPFP Board of Trustees at the Regular Board Meeting on July 14, 2022. New Trustee terms will run for three years and begin on September 1, 2022.

Non-member Trustee election will be conducted to fill three trustee positions.

The three Non-member trustee positions’ terms end on August 31, 2022.  All active members and pensioners are eligible to vote in the election for the Non-member Trustee positions.  More information, including a tentative election schedule, can be found in the Non-member application packet which can be found here.

Call for Non-member Trustee Candidates

The term of the three Non-member trustees ends on August 31, 2022.  The Nominations Committee met on March 31, 2022, to kick-off the process to fill the expiring trustee positions.  Although not eligible to serve in the Non-member trustee position we are encouraging active members and pensioners to inform potentially interested candidates about the opportunity to be part of an important, strong Board of Trustees.  The application for candidacy, including the election schedule and important information about serving as a trustee, can be found here.  Applications must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

Non-member Trustee Election Call for Candidates Notice

2022 Retiree Benefits Open Enrollment

​Open Enrollment for Retiree Employees is October 11 - 22, 2021.

SEPTEMBER 2021 EDUCATION SESSION DATES

Location: Zoom Webinar
Date: September 8, 16, and 22
Time: 9 a.m.- 11 a.m.

How DROP works in Active Service and Retirement For members that are pension eligible

(50+ years of age or at least 20 years of service)

Location: Zoom Webinar
Date: September 8
Time: 9 a.m.- 11 a.m.

This session will discuss the process for a member to join DROP, how the monthly pension benefit builds the DROP account, the impact of the 100% Joint and Survivor benefit on the DROP account, and the annuitization of the DROP account upon retirement.

Presented by Aimee Crews, Retirement Counselor.

Click here to register

• Click here for notice from the City.

  Open Enrollment Has Been Extended Until Wednesday November 4th.
  Action Required!

  
  If you want benefits coverage for 2021, you MUST complete the enrollment process by Wednesday.

  Two Way to Enroll

  1. Online at https://standard.benselect.com/cityofdallas
  2. Over the phone at 855-855-2870

  If you would like to download the PowerPoint slides, click here.

  2021 Benefit Enhancements:

  • New medical plans with BCBSTX
  • New dental plan administrator, same dental coverage options
  • New Vision plan option offering improved coverage
  • And more!

  Action Needed!

  • This year’s Open Enrollment is ACTIVE: You must elect 2021 health benefits. Otherwise, your current benefit elections will end on December 31, 2020, and you will have no coverage in 2021 – with no option to re-enroll in the future.
  • Please contact the Benefits Service Center at (214) 671-4181 or (214) 671-9875 or hrbenefits@dallascityhall.com with questions.

• 2021 Enrollment Benefit

  Information Sessions for Retirees 

  • This year’s benefit pre-enrollment information sessions will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams.
  • Multiple meeting dates and times will be offered.
  • Click here to view the schedule of information sessions. There is no need to sign up in advance – when it’s time for the meeting, just click on the link and you will join the session.

  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

  • Enrollment for 2021 benefits is October 19 – November 1, 2020.
  • Exciting improvements and enhancements!
    • New Medicare Advantage Open Access (PPO)^SM plans with BCBSTX
    • New dental plan administrator, same dental coverage options
    • New vision plan options offering improved coverage
    • And more!
  • This year’s Open Enrollment is ACTIVE: You must elect 2021 health benefits. Otherwise, your current benefit elections will end on December 31, 2020, and you will have no coverage in 2021 and you will no longer be eligible to enroll in a City of Dallas plan.
  • For 2021 benefits and enrollment questions, please call 1-888-984-4103 (TTY 711),
    8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. CT, 7 days a week.

• Mayor Eric Johnson has appointed the following individuals to the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System Board of Trustees:

  • Michael Brown to serve a two-year term ending August 31, 2022;
  • Nicholas Merrick (re-appointment) to serve a three-year term ending August 31, 2023; and
  • William Quinn (re-appointment) to serve a two-year term ending August 31, 2022.

  Official memorandum

• Pension Update and Q&A

  Several active members have requested a meeting to receive a pension update and be able to ask Board Members and Staff questions.  DPFP invites all active members to attend this meeting.  This meeting will be offered in-person at DPFP’s training room or virtually via zoom. More

• Benefits Enrollment Coming Soon: Exciting Enhancements, Action Required!

  2020 has been a year of change: in our city, in our state and country, and around the world. And with change comes new opportunities as well! That’s why the City of Dallas took the time to listen to your feedback about our benefits program and has made significant improvements for 2021.

   

  The City often reviews our retiree benefits to ensure your coverage options stay comprehensive and cost-effective. After careful research, we have decided on a suite of benefits that affirm our commitment to providing high-quality health care to our retirees.

   

  As a first step on this exciting and new benefits journey, here’s a quick preview of what’s happening:

  • New medical plans through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.
  • New dental plan administrator: Delta Dental.
  • New vision coverage options.
  • You must enroll if you want benefits in 2021.

   

  What’s Next

  • You must enroll for 2021 benefits between October 19, 2020 – November 1, 2020. If you don’t enroll, you won’t have City of Dallas benefits coverage for 2021.
  • Benefits meetings will be online-only this year. Meeting schedules and calendar invitations will be e-mailed soon. If you have benefit questions, contact the Benefits Service Center at hrbenefits@dallascityhall.com or (214) 671-6947, option 1.
  • Watch for additional communications in your home mail and e-mail.

   

  Questions?

  Contact the Benefits Service Center at hrbenefits@dallascityhall.com or (214) 671-6947, option 1. 

• These are difficult times for all of us.  One thing we do not want you to worry about is the continuing monthly payment of your benefits. 

  The financial markets have been very volatile recently and they may continue that way for some time.  But DPFP invests for the long-term.  We have an incredibly knowledgeable Board of Trustees and Investment Advisory Committee with years of investment experience.  Many of them have been through all the market ups and downs starting in the 1970s and 80s and they know how to deal with the roller coaster the market has been experiencing.    The Board is assisted by our consultant Meketa who advises many public pension systems both large and small and they too have enormous experience.

  Finally, our very able investment staff manages our assets on a day to day basis. They are able to deal with matters as they arise and bring matters to the Board’s attention if changes are necessary.

  Our long-term view means we likely won’t make major changes as we fully believe, over time, the markets will correct themselves.  Our investment policy is constructed to ensure that we will be in a good position to benefit from such a correction.

  Much as you have worked hard to make the City of Dallas a safer place, so to will DPFP work to ensure that your pension is in a safe place.

• DPFP is committed to the health and safety of our participants, employees and visitors. As you know, there is a heightened awareness related to COVID‐19 (the Coronavirus). To keep our participants and employees safe, we have implemented the following:

  1. Appointments. Until further notice, DPFP will not be accepting in‐person meetings or visitors in the DPFP office. All appointments with DPFP Retirement Counselors will be held by telephone. Our Retirement Counselors will be in touch to reschedule existing appointments.

  2. Scheduling. To schedule a telephone appointment with a Retirement Counselor, call the DPFP office at 214-638-3863 and press 2 to leave a voicemail message including your name, phone number and email address and a Retirement Counselor will contact you for scheduling.

  3. Questions, Changes, Refunds and Benefit Related Matters. Call the DPFP office at 214-638-3863 and press 2, this will allow you to leave a message. In the message please include your general issue so we can have the right person call you back, also include your name, phone number and email address. You may also email requests for contact to info@dpfp.org.

  4. Document Submission. If you need to submit documents to DPFP, you can send the document(s) to DPFP by email at the email address provided by your Retirement Counselor or to info@dpfp.org. Remember to retain the original document. You also can mail your submission to the DPFP office:
  DPFP 4100 Harry Hines Blvd. Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75219.

  We will continue to evaluate additional measures as needs arise and communicate changes on our website. As always, the safety and well‐being of all members of our community are our utmost priority. Thank you for your understanding and patience! 

• COVID-19 Update

  As we continue to monitor developments related to the COVID-19 virus we want to assure you that our highest priority, is and will continue to be, that all pension payments are made timely and accurately.   We want you to know we have plans and systems in place to allow us to process the monthly pension payroll remotely should the need arise.  Staff performing key functions in the process have backup support if needed.  As of today, our office is open for business as usual.  Of course, as we all know that may change on a moment’s notice. To deal with this possibility, we are developing the processes and protocols to replace typical face-to-face meetings with retirement counselors by exchanging information and documents over the phone and electronically.  The Board acted today to ensure that new retirements and survivor benefits will be approved even in the event the Board can not meet.

• Kenneth S. Haben was the sole applicant for the Police Officer Trustee position. The Board’s Election Policy states that if there is only one qualified candidate the Board shall be authorized to declare that the sole qualified candidate as the person selected for the Trustee position and no further electoral action is required. At the June 11, 2020 Board meeting, the Board approved Mr. Haben’s selection as a Trustee.  Therefore, there will not be a Police Officer Trustee Election in 2020. We congratulate Mr. Haben and look forward to working with him.

• Incumbent Armando Garza applied to continue his position on the Board of Trustees and was the only candidate to apply.  The Board’s Election Policy states that if there is only one qualified candidate the Board shall be authorized to declare that the sole qualified candidate as the person selected for the Trustee position and no further electoral action is required. At the June 11 Board meeting, the Board approved Mr. Garza’s selection as a Trustee.  Therefore, there will not be a Fire Fighter Trustee Election in 2020. We congratulate and appreciate Mr. Garza’s continued service of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Garza’s biography can be found here.

• DPFP is seeking candidates to run for the Police Officer Trustee and Fire Fighter Trustee positions.  Both terms expire on August 31, 2020.  The Police Officer Trustee and Fire Fighter Trustee positions must be held by a current or former City of Dallas Police Officer or Fire Fighter.  The application for candidacy, including the election schedule and important information about serving as a trustee, can be found here.  Applications must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. on June 2, 2020.

• The Police Officer Trustee and Fire Fighter Trustee positions term expire on August 31, 2020.  Active or former City of Dallas Police Officers or Fire Fighters may serve in the Police Officer Trustee or Fire Fighter Trustee positions.  Only active members are eligible to vote in the Police Officer Trustee and Fire Fighter Trustee elections that corresponds with their role as either a Police Officer or Fire Fighter.  More information, including a tentative election schedule, can be found in the 2020 Application for Trustee Candidacy packet which can be found here.

• The Texas Supreme Court issued its opinion in the Degan case

  On January 31, 2020, the Texas Supreme Court issued its opinion in the Degan case.  The Supreme Court had been asked to answer two certified questions by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  In its opinion, the Supreme Court ruled first that the method of withdrawal of funds from DROP is not a service retirement benefit protected under Article XVI, Section 66 of the Texas Constitution and second the actions by the DPFP Board of Trustees, pursuant to Article 6243a-1 as amended in 2017, to alter previous withdrawal elections and annuitize DROP funds over the respective life expectancy of the plaintiffs in the Degan case did not violate Section 66 of the Texas Constitution.

  DPFP is pleased with the outcome and believes this result is consistent with the Supreme Court’s opinion last year in the Eddington case as well as the Fifth Circuit’s opinion in the Van Houten case.  DPFP will continue to implement the plan changes mandated by the Texas legislature in 2017.

  A link to the Supreme Court’s opinion can be found here.

• The November Regular Board Meeting has been rescheduled to Tuesday November 19^th, 2019 at 8:30 a.m.  It is anticipated that the Board will go into closed session at the beginning of the meeting due to the availability of Trustees on the rescheduled meeting date.  Meetings are held at the second floor of the DPFP office at 4100 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75219.

• The preliminary results for the Non-member Trustee are as follows:

  Candidate	Choice	Votes	% Voted
  Robert B. French	Yes, I approve	882	77.64%
  	No, I do not approve	254	22.36%
  Gilbert Andrew Garcia, CFA	Yes, I approve	845	74.38%
  	No, I do not approve	291	25.62%
  Tina Hernandez Patterson	Yes, I approve	1,001	88.12%
  	No, I do not approve	135	11.88%

   

  These Trustees will serve from September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2022.

  The results will be submitted to the Board to certify at the August 8^th Board meeting.

• Non-Member Trustee Election

  At the June 19^, 2019 Nominations Committee meeting, Gilbert Garcia, Tina Hernandez Patterson and Robert French were selected as the Nominations Committee’s slate of three Non-member Trustee candidates to be placed on the ballot. More information can be found here regarding the candidates.

  The voting packets for the Non-member Trustee election will be mailed July 16^th to Members’ and Pensioners’ home addresses or emailed to members who have elected eCorrecpondence on July 17^th. Voting begins at 8 a.m. on Wednesday July 17^th and voting ends at noon on Thursday, August 1^st.

  All active members and pensioners are eligible to vote in the election for the Non-member Trustee positions.

  The election is being conducted for DPFP by Election-America, Inc., an independent firm that specializes in such elections. DPFP has no access to the counting of votes and receives all final reporting from ElectionAmerica. For assistance with the voting process, contact Election-America at (866) 384-9978 or Help+DPFPS@Election-America.com.

  Ballots will be tallied by Election-America on Friday, August 2, 2019. Election results will be certified by the DPFP Board of Trustees at the Regular Board Meeting on August 8, 2019. New Trustee terms will run for three years and begin on September 1, 2019.

• Today, the Texas Supreme Court denied the plaintiffs’ motion for rehearing in the Eddington case.  As a result, the ruling by the Court in favor of DPFP finding that the changes in 2014 to DROP were legal under Article 16, Section 66 of the Texas Constitution is now final.

• Armando Garza was the sole applicant for the Fire Fighter Trustee position. Today the Board determined that Mr. Garza met the qualifications of Article 6243a-1 to serve as a Trustee and authorized him to be seated as a Trustee at the next Board meeting pursuant to the Trustee Election Procedures. We congratulate Mr. Garza and look forward to working with him.

• Sam Friar, Fire Fighter Trustee, has resigned from the Board. Sam served on the Board since 2011, including serving as Chairman during the challenging times prior to September 1, 2017. We would like to thank Sam for his service to DPFP. Information about the election to fill the Fire Fighter Trustee position will be available after the Board approves the materials at the May 9th Board meeting.

• Reminder Non-member Trustee election underway. Voting closes at noon on Thursday, August 1st.

• The Mayor has appoint a new Trustee to the Dallas Police and Fire Pension Board, Susan M. Byrne. Her bio is available here.

• The three Non-member trustee positions terms end on August 31, 2019.  All active members and pensioners are eligible to vote in the election for the Non-member Trustee positions.  More information, including a tentative election schedule, can be found in the Non-member application packet which can be found here.

  An election will be held to fill the remaining term of the Fire Fighter Trustee position which was vacated at the beginning of May.  Active and former City of Dallas Fire Fighters may serve in the Fire Fighter Trustee position.  Only active Fire Fighters are eligible to vote in the Fire Fighter Trustee election.  More information, including a tentative election schedule,  can be found in the Fire Fighter Trustee application packet which can be found here.

• DPFP is seeking candidates to run for the remaining term of the Fire Fighter Trustee position that was vacated effective May 1, 2019.  This term expires August 31, 2020.  The Fire Fighter Trustee position must be held by an active or former City of Dallas Fire Fighter.  The application for candidacy, including the election schedule and important information about serving as a trustee, can be found here.  Applications must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. on June 4, 2019.

• The term of the three Non-member trustees ends on August 31, 2019.  The Nominations Committee met on May 6th to kick-off the process to fill the expiring trustee positions.  Although not eligible to serve in the Non-member trustee position we are encouraging active members and pensioners to inform potentially interested candidates about the opportunity to be part of an important, strong Board of Trustees.  The application for candidacy, including the election schedule and important information about serving as a trustee, can be found here.  Applications must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. on June 4, 2019.

• Eddington case

  Today, the Texas Supreme Court rendered a decision in the Eddington case, ruling unanimously in favor of DPFP finding that the changes in 2014 to DROP were legal under Article 16, Section 66 of the Texas Constitution. 

  Here is a copy of the opinion.

• 10/03/2018 Update: The Annual Actuarial Valuations are complete and can be found here.

  Update on the annual actuarial valuation and annual audit completion

  Many years ago, DPFP made large investments with two private equity managers.  The investments with these two managers are material to the overall financial statements of DPFP.  These two managers have not provided the required information to DPFP to complete the actuarial valuation and we cannot complete the annual audit without knowing the value of these investments.  Historically, these managers cause a delay that allows the financial statements to be issued at the end of July, however this year the delay has been longer than in the past years. DPFP has no control over the timing of financial reports from managers.  We have been told we will be getting the information needed in the next few days. If that is the case, the actuarial valuation should be available to be presented to the Board at the September 13^th Board meeting and the audit and Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports are expected to be presented at the October Board meeting. 

• DPFP is near completion of a major update to the Web Member Services (WMS) portion of our web site. The changes will allow WMS to be more readable on smart phone and tablets. There are a few enhancements, such as showing all active addresses, but the primary change is the presentation format. We anticipate the update going live October 15^th.

  On October 15^th starting at 8:00 am CDT, WMS will be offline for up to 24 hours to transition the site. During this time, both WMS and online forms will be offline. Our public web site will still be available.

  After the update, complex passwords will be required. If your current password does not meet the following criteria, you will be required to change it to a complex password the next time you log in. Your password must contain at least 8 characters but no more than 15 and contain characters from three of the following categories:

  Uppercase letters (A through Z)

  Lowercase letters (a through z)

  Base 10 digits (0 through 9)

  Non-alphanumeric characters (special characters): (@~#$^()_+=!,.?)

   

  We hope you find the new WMS useful, helpful, and easy to navigate.

   

• THIS NOTICE IS BEING POSTED ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF DALLAS:

  Important things to know regarding 2019 Health Insurance Open Enrollment:

  The 2019 Open Enrollment period for Retirees started October 15, 2018 and ends October 26, 2018.  Depending on your current medical election, you may be required to actively enroll in a medical plan for 2019.  

  To make changes to your benefit elections, or to enroll for 2019, contact the Benefits Service Center at (214) 671-6947 Option 1 or visit in person at City Hall.  The 2019 Benefits Enrollment Guide provides details about your benefit options.

  Link to 2019 Retiree (Non-Medicare) Benefits Enrollment Guide:

  https://dallascityhall.com/departments/humanresources/benefits/DCH%20Documents/Retiree-Guide.pdf

  Link to 2019 Retiree (Medicare) Benefits Enrollment Guide:

  https://dallascityhall.com/departments/humanresources/benefits/DCH%20Documents/Medicare-Retiree-Guide.pdf

• The City is extending our Retiree Open Enrollment until November 16th.

  Here is what you need to know!

  • There are two new plans for 2019 Option 2 Copay and Option 3 HSA.
  • The 70/30 Plan will be discontinued on December 31, 2018. If you are currently enrolled in this plan you MUST actively enroll in order to have medical insurance in 2019.
  • The 75/25 (Option 1 HRA), Dental, and Vision plans are passive enrollment, meaning no action is needed if currently in these plans and they will roll over into the new plan year.
  • Retirees can access the Retiree Benefit Guides for 2019 at https://dallascityhall.com/departments/humanresources/benefits/Pages/retiree.aspx
  • To enroll, Retirees can contact the Benefits Service Center in person or by telephone at 214-671-6947 Option 1. The Benefits Service Center is available from 8:15 a.m. – 5:15 p.m. Monday through Friday.

   

  Still have questions? Attend an informational session!

  Wednesday, November 7
  10 a.m. — 1 p.m.
  Samuell Grand Rec Center
  6200 E. Grand Ave, Dallas, Texas 75223

• Certain people have been circulating misleading information about the funded status of the plan.  These people have no new information on which to base their claims.  It is true that contributions are less than benefit payments each month. This is not a new issue.  This has been discussed many times over the last few years at Board meetings and was widely discussed last year during the legislative process. The difference between contributions and benefit payments has absolutely been included in the funding level calculations every year.  

  It is common in a pension plan as it “matures” to have benefit payments exceed contributions when there are large numbers of retirees and beneficiaries compared to the number of active members.  It will take many years before there are a significant number of retirees with benefits that reflect the lower benefit structure.  Benefit outflows and city contribution inflows are in line with what the actuary calculated last year when the legislation was passed.  It was known and expected that the funding level of the plan will decline and remain low for a prolonged period of time before it starts to rebound, even if all assumptions are met.  We have absolutely disclosed this information on numerous occasions and statements to the contrary are scurrilous attempts by someone to create a panic which they view as beneficial to their own individual interest.

  As always, when we receive updated information from the actuary we will provide additional information about the funding status and any changes from the prior year information.  We urge you to attend the Board meeting when the actuary presents the January 1, 2018 valuation which we expect to occur in September.

• The Court in the Degan case has ruled in favor of the DPFP Board and has granted DPFP’s motion to dismiss the case.  You can read the ruling by Judge Godbey here.

• Important Information regarding the DROP Revocation (UNDO) Process

  The State mandated deadline to complete a DROP revocation (UNDO) is February 28, 2018.  Absolutely no late revocation forms can be accepted. 

  The last Combined Informational and Revocation meeting will be held on February 28, 2018 from 9-11 a.m. 

  If you are interested in seeing how a DROP UNDO may impact you, you must call DPFP at      214-638-3863 ASAP to get your name added to the DROP UNDO list and be scheduled for this last meeting.  Your individual numbers must be calculated prior to the meeting; therefore, it is not possible have members in the meeting that have not pre-registered.

  You must attend this group meeting to revoke a prior DROP election.

  Any Member that has attended a previous Informational or Revocation meeting, and has not submitted their completed paperwork, needs to also contact DPFP and have their name added to this last group session.

  Please note DPFP must receive your completed DROP UNDO Revocation paperwork no later than February 28, 2018.  No late Revocation forms can be accepted.

• The Dallas Police and Fire Pension System has scheduled additional Combined Informational and Revocation (UNDO) meetings every Wednesday in the month February.

  The February Combined Informational and Revocation Meeting Dates are:

  February 7th                      Wednesday                        9-11 a.m.

  February 14th                    Wednesday                         2-4 p.m.

  February 21st                     Wednesday                        9-11 a.m.

  February 28th                    Wednesday                         9-11 a.m.

  If your name is not on the DROP UNDO list and you are interested in seeing how a DROP UNDO may impact you, please call DPFP at 214-638-3863 ASAP to get added to the list. Only those members whose names are on the DROP UNDO list will be contacted to attend a meeting.  You must attend a group meeting to revoke a prior DROP election, due to the volume no individual meetings will be scheduled. 

  Any Member that has attended a previous Informational or Revocation Meeting, and has not completed their paperwork, needs to contact DPFP and have their name added to one of the group sessions listed above.

  Please note DPFP must receive your completed DROP UNDO Revocation paperwork no later than February 28, 2018.  No late Revocations can be accepted.

• The amount of federal tax being withheld from your monthly benefit payments (if any) may have changed because the withholding tables have changed. Until you file a new election with us, your prior choice as to whether to have withholding, and on what basis will remain in effect. You may change your election using a Form W-4P and sending to the DPFP office. There is no need to complete the form unless you wish to change the election you have already made. If you make a change, it will be put into effect for the next month end payment, provided we receive the form by the 15th of the month.  Note:  the IRS has not released the 2018 Form W-4P at this time, your election can be made on the 2017 form that is provided at the link.
• The January 11^th Board meeting will start at 1:00 p.m. The meeting will be held on the second floor of the DPFP office at 4100 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75219. 
• The Dallas Police and Fire Pension System’s Board of Trustees amended the DROP policy to include the Revocation (UNDO) provisions. DPFP will be contacting members that have requested to be on the DROP UNDO list to schedule a DROP Revocation meeting.  If your name is not on the list and you are interested in seeing how a DROP UNDO may impact you please call DPFP at 214-638-3863 ASAP to get added to the list.  Please read important information about the process here.

• As many of you know, DPFP is beginning the process of annuitizing DROP accounts as required by the provisions of HB 3158.  The Board has adopted a DROP Policy which can be found here, which sets forth the method of annuitization and the details with respect to this process.  This annuitization converts all DROP balances (except those of members who are still on active service with the City of Dallas) into a series of equal payments.

  As a result of the annuitization, starting November 24, 2017, your account on Web Member Services will not reflect a DROP balance.  Instead, the next pay stub will reflect the dollar amount of each DROP annuity payment you will receive (either monthly or annually) as well as the final date of the annuity.

  With the beginning of the annuity payments, the payments of the Minimum Annual Distributions (MADs) has terminated.  The final monthly MADs payment was paid in October, the first annuity payment will begin in November.  The final semi-annual MADs payment will be made at the end of November for $12,000 (4 months times $3,000) for those receiving the MADs on a semi-annual basis.

  In addition to the annuitization rules, the DROP Policy adopted by the Board also contains revised requirements and rules regarding DROP hardship payments.  The revised forms can be found here.  Please note that HB 3158 restricts hardship payments to only retirees who are former police officers or firefighters.  Any other person entitled to receive DROP annuity payments is not eligible for a hardship payment.

• We are currently experiencing high call volume. When calling our office, please leave a message with your name and phone number and we will return your call as soon as possible.
• The DRAFT 2018 operating budget was initially presented to the Board on 10/12/17. It was revised at the 11/9/17 Board meeting and is available for member review. The proposed budget may be found here. Time will be allotted for member comments on the proposed budget at the 12/14/17 Board meeting, along with further discussion by the Board.

• An email was generated by the system stating the November pay stubs were available on Web Member Services today, however, they will not be available until tomorrow morning, November 30, 2017. 

• The full, 11-member Board met for the first time Thursday, October 12, 2017.  The new Board had to hit the ground running because HB 3158 has specific required tasks for the Board to accomplish over the next several months.  The major agenda items related DROP issues including the annuitization of DROP balances, the rules associated with a DROP revocation, and DROP hardship distribution rules.  Staff is preparing a draft of the new DROP policy for the Board’s consideration at a November 1^st Special Board meeting.   Please check the website for an official meeting posting and agenda which will be available on October 27^th. The following results of the Trustee Election were certified by the Nominations Committee 10/10. Police Officer Trustee: Joe Schutz. Non-member Trustees: Blaine Dickens, Gilbert Andrew Garcia, and Tina Hernandez Patterson.

• Pursuant to HB 3158, Mayor Rawlings has appointed six trustees to the DPFP Board with their terms commencing September 1. Biographies of each of the appointees can be found here. The new trustees are as follows:

   

  • William F. Quinn
  • Kneeland Youngblood
  • Ray Nixon
  • Nicholas A. Merrick
  • Frederick E. Rowe
  • Robert C. Walters

   

  Mr. Youngblood, Mr. Nixon and Mr. Merrick shall each serve an initial two-year term. Mr. Quinn, Mr. Rowe and Mr. Walters shall each serve an initial three-year term. All subsequent appointees of the Mayor will serve three-year terms.

• On Thursday, August 24th, the Judge denied the Temporary Restraining Order that was filed last week in the Degan case that sought to stop the annuitization of the DROP balances. The motion can be found here.

• For members with DROP balances, the DROP Projection Report has been temporarily removed from the DROP Information section of Web Member Services while updates are being made to reflect changes from House Bill 3158. As soon as the changes have been completed, we will notify members of the availability of the report.

• On June 8, the Board adopted an amendment to the DROP Policy Addendum previously adopted on 1/12/17. The Amendment removes the possibility for any pro-rata lump sum payments from DROP. Per HB 3158, if any lump sum payments are made prior to 9/1/17 other than those stated as allowable in HB 3158, the bill would be considered null and void. The relevant policies and amendments can be seen HERE.

• On May 31, Governor Abbott signed HB 3158 into law. The Plan changes will become effective September 1, 2017. A summary of the Plan changes as compared to the current Plan can be seen HERE. The bill as signed by the Governor can be seen HERE.

• The Nominations Committee has scheduled a meeting for October 10th at 3p.m. to certify the election results.

  The Meeting will be held on the second floor of the DPFP office at 4100 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75219. Parking is available on the upper deck of the parking garage. The agenda can be found here.

• The City alerted us the evening of September 21st that an error was made in calculating Police and Fire members City payroll. This error impacted tax withholding and the net payroll check. The pension contributions withheld were calculated correctly. The City will be correcting the error with a direct deposit early next week.  Please contact the City with any questions.

• Due to scheduling conflicts, certain of the items originally planned for the September 14^th Board meeting agenda will be postponed to a later date. An Order of Business reflecting the items which are planned to be addressed at the 9/14 meeting can be seen HERE.  

• On September 1, the Nominations Committee held their first official meeting, called for interested candidates in the upcoming Trustee election, and approved an election schedule. The complete election notice with further details can be found HERE. The election schedule can be found HERE.

  On May 31, Governor Abbott signed into law House Bill 3158 which mandates changes to the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System which will go into effect on September 1, 2017. One important change is the governance structure. The Nominations Committee is seeking interested candidates to serve on the Board of Trustees. They are seeking one active or former Dallas Police Officer, one active or former Dallas Fire Fighter and three trustees who are non-members (never served as a Dallas Police Officer or Fire Fighter).

• Ballots for the Trustee Election were mailed and emailed on Friday, 9/29 and additional emails are being sent today, 10/2. Only members who have registered for eCorrespondence on Web Member Services will receive a ballot via email. If you are not on eCorrespondence, please allow time for the ballot to arrive in US Mail. If you are on eCorrespondence and have not received your ballot by the end of the day on 10/2, or if you have not received it through US Mail by 10/4, you may contact Election America, DPFP’s election vendor, at either 866-384-9978 or help+dpfps@election-america.com. In the meantime, if you are unsure whether you are on eCorrespondence, you can contact our office at 214-638-3863 or info@dpfp.org and our staff can confirm how your ballot was sent to you.

• The Nominations Committee met on September 18^th and certified the ballot for the Trustee election.  The following three candidates were vetted and selected by the Committee to be put forward in the election for the Non-member Trustee positions:  Blaine Dickens, Gilbert Andrew Garcia, and Tina Hernandez Patterson.  The three Non-member Trustee positions are elected by both active Police Officers and Fire Fighters and Pensioners.  These three candidates are not running against each other as there are three Non-member Trustee positions.   Active Police Officers, Fire Fighters and Pensioners will be asked on the ballot to either Approve or Not Approve each candidate individually.   Each candidate receiving more votes of Approve than Not Approve will be elected as a Non-member Trustee.  The candidate’s statements and resumes can be found here. 

  The Nominations Committee also certified the ballot for the Police Officer Trustee election.  Five candidates are running for the Police Officer Trustee position:  Kenneth S. Haben, Stephen C. Paz, Joe Schutz, Scott Walton and Thomas White.  In addition to the Non-member Trustee election, active Police Officers will also be asked to vote for ONE Police Officer to fill the Police Officer Trustee position.  The candidate’s statements can be found here. 

  There was only one applicant to serve in the Fire Fighter Trustee position, Sam Friar.  Since there was only one applicant, there will not be an election for the Fire Fighter Trustee position. Sam Friar was certified by the Nominations Committee pursuant to its policy to be elected as a Trustee.   Active Fire Fighters will only participate in the Non-member Trustee election as there is no election for the Fire Fighter Trustee position.   

  Ballots will be mailed (or emailed) on September 29, 2017.   The election opens at 8:00 a.m. Central time on Monday, October 2, 2017 and closes at noon Central time on Monday, October 9, 2017. The results will be announced on October 10.

• The election opens at 8:00 a.m. Central time on Monday, October 2, 2017 and closes at noon Central time on Monday, October 9, 2017. The results will be announced on October 10.

  The following three candidates were vetted and selected by the Committee to be put forward in the election for the Non-member Trustee positions:  Blaine Dickens, Gilbert Andrew Garcia, and Tina Hernandez Patterson.  The three Non-member Trustee positions are elected by all members.  These three candidates are not running against each other as there are three Non-member Trustee positions.   Members are asked on the ballot to either Approve or Not Approve each candidate individually.   Each candidate receiving more votes of Approve than Not Approve will be elected as a Non-member Trustee.  The candidate’s statements and resumes can be found here.

  Five candidates are running for the Police Trustee position:  Kenneth S. Haben, Stephen C. Paz, Joe Schutz, Scott Walton and Thomas White.  Active Police members will also be asked to vote for ONE Police Officer to fill the Police Officer Trustee position.  A candidate must receive at least 50% of the votes to be elected. The candidate’s statements can be found here.

  There was only one applicant to serve in the Fire Fighter Trustee position, Sam Friar, therefore there is no election for the Fire Fighter Trustee position. Sam Friar was certified by the Nominations Committee pursuant to its policy to be elected as a Trustee.   Active Fire Fighters will only participate in the Non-member Trustee election as there is no election for the Fire Fighter Trustee position.  

• The results of the 2017 Trustee Election are as follows. The results are subject to certification at the April 13 Board meeting. New trustee terms begin June 1.
  
  Police Pensioner, Place 1:
  Thomas D. Bowers, Jr. – 88 votes; 14%
  Kenneth Sprecher – 373 votes; 57%
  Joseph Thompson – 188 votes; 29%
  
  Fire Pensioner, Place 1:
  Jerry T. Minter – 184 votes; 38%
  Larry D. Williams – 303 votes; 62%

• For 2017, the amount of federal tax being withheld from your monthly benefit payments (if any) may change because the withholding tables have changed. If your payments are less than $1,720 a month, we will not withhold income tax from those payments unless you specifically request withholding, or have already done so. Until you file a new election with us, your prior choice as to whether to have withholding, and on what basis will remain in effect. You may change your election using a Form W-4P and sending to the DPFP office. There is no need to complete the form unless you wish to change the election you have already made. If you make a change, it will be put into effect for the next month end payment, provided we receive the form by the 15th of the month.

• For retirees who have Medicare deducted from their pension benefit payment, there was a miscommunication between the City and DPFP regarding City payroll changes in February which caused excess Medicare deductions to be processed on 2/28/17. In order to refund impacted Members, the 3/31/17 benefit payment will not include a Medicare deduction. If you have any questions, please contact the City Benefits Services Center at 214-671-6947, option #1.

• The Required Minimum Distributions for 2017 were paid on January 27. Federal income taxes have been withheld at a rate of 10% in accordance with IRS regulations. Please watch for your direct deposit advice and letter related to this distribution in the mail if you are subject to an RMD.

• For retirees who have Medicare deducted from their pension benefit payment, there was a miscommunication between the City and DPFP regarding City payroll changes in February which caused excess Medicare deductions to be processed on 2/28/17. In order to refund impacted Members, the 3/31/17 benefit payment will not include a Medicare deduction. If you have any questions, please contact the City Benefits Services Center at 214-671-6947, option #1.

• Due to a sorting error in the mail merge process, letters describing the HB 3158 plan changes for one group of retirees matched the incorrect first name with the member's last name and address. We apologize for the error, new letters were mailed to this group of retirees.

•  On May 25, the House of Representatives concurred on HB 3158 as amended by the Senate with a unanimous vote of 142 to 0. The bill will now be sent to the Governor for his signature. The Governor has 20 days after final adjournment of the legislature on May 29 to either sign the bill into law or veto the bill. If the Governor takes no action within 20 days after final adjournment of the legislature, the bill will become law.

•  On May 23, CSHB 3158 was passed through the 2nd and 3rd readings in the Senate. The bill will now return to the House for concurrence and will then be subject to the Governor’s approval. For current status of the bill, see HERE. A Special Meeting of the Board will be held on Monday, 5/22 at 8:30am to brief the Board on the amendments to CSHB 3158 as passed by the Senate State Affairs Committee. A Special Meeting had previously been scheduled for Sunday, 5/21, however that meeting has been canceled.

•  On 5/18, the committee substitute for HB 3158 was unanimously passed in the first reading in the Senate State Affairs Committee. See HERE for a statement from Chairman Sam Friar. It is expected to proceed to the 2nd reading in the Senate early next week.

• Four amendments were made to HB 3158 as it went through the Texas House of Representatives for approval, one amendment was made on 2nd reading by Representative Jason Villalba and it can be found HERE, three amendments were made on 3rd reading by Representative Yvonne Davis and they can be found HERE.
  On 5/4, HB 3158 unanimously passed the third reading in the House of Representatives, with minor amendments. The bill now move on to the Senate. See HERE for a statement from Chairman Friar.

•  The 3rd reading of HB 3158 is scheduled for today’s House meeting (5/4). A live broadcast of the 85h Legislative Session can be seen HERE. It is not scheduled for a specific time, however it will not be earlier than 12pm. We will provide more information as it is available.

•  On 5/3, HB 3158 unanimously passed the second reading in the House of Representatives. The third reading will occur on 5/4 and potential amendments may be debated. Any amendments require a 2/3 vote to be incorporated. See HERE for a statement from Chairman Friar.

• On 4/12, Mayor Rawlings sent another LETTER to the legislature with modifications to his 4/7 requests. DPFP is in ongoing discussions with Chairman Flynn’s staff and the Pension Review Board on proposals that impact HB 3158. We will continue to keep our members posted as the bill progresses through the process.
  On Wednesday, 5/3, HB 3158 is on the General State Calendar to be considered by the full House. The live broadcast of the meeting may be viewed HERE. HB 3158 is the 58th bill on the agenda, so it could possibly be late in the day when it is discussed.

• On 4/20, the Mayor issued a letter to taxpayers criticizing HB 3158. In response, Chairman Sam Friar released this STATEMENT.

• On 4/7, Mayor Rawlings sent this LETTER to Chairman Flynn and the House Dallas Delegation with requested changes to HB 3158. On 4/11, DPFP responded with this LETTER stating our position on the City’s requests and disagreement with many of their actuarial assumptions.

• At the 4/12 House Pensions Committee meeting, HB 3158 was voted out of Committee with a vote of 6-0. It is expected to head to the House floor for consideration by the full House. We will provide updates when a floor debate has been scheduled. See HERE for the Committee substitute of HB 3158.

• Related to the House Pensions Committee hearing on 4/3 and the City’s position on HB 3158, the Chairman has released the a statement which can be seen HERE. #BackThePension

• On 3/14, DPFP’s Executive Director released the following statement regarding the pending legislation impacting the DPFP Plan – see HERE.

• In the 3/9/17 Board meeting, the Board adopted a Resolution certifying a reserve amount resulting in no excess liquidity available for pro-rata DROP distributions for the month of March. See HERE for the presentation which was made to the Board by staff. The $3K Minimum Annual Distributions will be paid as installments with the 3/31 benefit payments.

• On 3/2, DPFP received notice of a lawsuit filed by a retired member against the eight service Trustees of the Board, intervening in the Rawlings suit. The filing can be found HERE and will be discussed in our 3/9 Board meeting.

• Mailing of Form 1099s and Annual Statements
  Form 1099s will be mailed to retirees and beneficiaries by January 27, 2017.
  Annual Benefit Statements and DROP Statements will be mailed to all active members and retirees with a DROP account on January 23, 2017.

• Any members on eCorrespondence will receive these communications electronically.

• On 2/8, DPFP received notice of a lawsuit filed by the four City Council members who serve as DPFP Trustees, against the eight service Trustees of the Board. A statement from DPFP can be found HERE. The filing can be found HERE and will be discussed in our 2/9 Board meeting.

• The Board has scheduled a Special Meeting for Monday, February 27th at 6:30pm. The only item on the agenda is the Rawlings lawsuit and the discussion is expected to be held virtually all in closed session. There will be no opportunity for member comments at this meeting. There will be opportunity for member comments at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting on March 9th.

• At its Board meeting on January 12, 2017, the DPFP Board of Trustees called for the 2017 Trustee Election to be held March 24 - April 7. The election notice can be found HERE.

• On 2/20, the Board held a Special Meeting to review two Plan Amendment proposals. The Board voted unanimously to support Chairman Flynn’s plan versus the Mayor’s plan. See a summary of the two proposals HERE.

• The Board will hold a Special Meeting on Monday, 2/20 at 8:30am. The agenda can be seen HERE.

• The Board will hold a Special Meeting on Tuesday, 2/14 at 1:30pm. The agenda can be seen HERE.

• The temporary injunction hearing scheduled for Tuesday, January 17th in the Rawlings lawsuit has been canceled. Mayor Rawlings requested the hearing date be withdrawn. DPFP statement on this can be found HERE.