2003 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

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provided to City departments on a cost - reimbursement basis). Fiduciary Funds. The City's fiduciary duties are accounted for in both Trust and Agency Funds. The primary trust funds are the Police and Fire Pension Funds (explained below). The Agency Fund is for payroll and related employee deductions. Pension Trust Fund Operations Most City employees are covered by the Public Employees Retirement Fund and the 1977 Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Fund, both administered by the State of Indiana. However, certain police officers and firefighters hired before May 1, 1977, who did not opt into the 1977 fund, continue to be members of the 1925 Police Pension Fund and the 1937 Firefighters' Pension Fund. These two funds are administered by the City. This group of police officers and firefighters will continue to decline in the future both as a total number and as a percentage of total payroll of both the police and fire departments and of the City as a whole. The 1925 and 1937 Plans are funded through a combination of property taxes levied by the City and distributions from the State Pension Relief Fund. As a result of the requirements of the state statute that created these funds, the City is legally prevented from funding them in any other way than a "pay -as- you -go" basis. For December 31, 2001, the City received an actuarial survey on these funds to provide the proper disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles. This information is included in the following section. Cash Management. In accordance with state statute, cash temporarily idle during the year is invested in demand deposits, certificates of deposit, obligations of the U.S. Treasury and repurchase agreements that are fully collateralized by U.S. Government or U.S. Government Agency obligations. In addition to the insurance available to all depositors through the Federal government, all deposits of the City are covered by the Public Deposits Insurance Fund maintained by the State Board for Depositories. That fund, established in 1937, covers both principal and interest of all deposits and investments made by an Indiana governmental unit with approved public depositories in accordance with the Public Deposits and Investments Law. Risk Management. The City has established two self - insurance funds: the Self - Funded Employee Benefits Fund and the Liability Insurance Premium Reserve Fund. As previously mentioned, these self - insurance funds are accounted for as Internal Service Funds. The purpose of the Self - Funded Employee Benefits Fund is to pay medical claims of City employees and their covered dependents and minimize the total cost of annual medical insurance to the City. Medical claims exceeding $125,000 per insured on an annual basis are covered through a private carrier. In addition to medical claims, the fund pays premiums for life insurance and longterm disability benefits for employees. The Liability Insurance Premium Reserve Fund covers automobile and comprehensive liability as well as workers' compensation costs. The City's liability for self - insurance is limited to $300,000 per person and $5,000,000 in the aggregate per occurrence in accordance with Indiana Tort Law. The accrued liability for estimated insurance claims represents an estimate of the probable loss on unpaid claims arising prior to year end. xv