The Employees Retirement System (ERS) is a qualified plan under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. Services include timely and accurate payment of benefits, benefits counseling, communicating with participants and maintaining the pension system database.
Benefits
All applicants for retirement must be approved by the Board of Trustees prior to receiving a benefit. Learn more.
Planning for Retirement
County employees may want to attend one of the Pre-Retirement Seminars sponsored by the Office of Human Resources Training Division. These semi-annual seminars are listed in the spring and fall schedule of courses, available on BCnet. There will be speakers from different offices, including:
- Retirement
- Insurance
- Deferred Compensation
- Social Security
- The Credit Union
For more information, call the Training Division at 410-887-8713. The Board of Education and the Community College conduct pre-retirement seminars for their employees.
Initiating the Process
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Call the Retirement Office about two months in advance of your projected retirement date.
Payment
The first payment you receive will be in the form of a check. After the first month, you will receive your payment by direct deposit. You will still receive a pay stub in the mail. Direct deposits are dated and payable on the last banking day of each month. To find out the current month's pay date, look for the check messages printed on each month's pay stubs for future pay dates and other important information.
Contact Information
Your former employer administers insurance benefits. To stay up to date on issues affecting retirees, contact your union (if applicable) or the Baltimore County Retired Employees Association at 410-663-3341. You may also check your monthly pay stub for important information.
| Employer Benefits | Phone | |
|---|---|---|
410-887-2568 1-800-274-4302 (toll free) | ||
443-809-8943 | ||
443-840-4398 | ||
410-887-3127 |
| |
410-887-6177 |
|
Notice of Class Action Lawsuits
Brought by EEOC affecting certain retirees and members of the Employees' Retirement System of Baltimore County. Read the details (PDF).
Affecting certain retirees and members of the Employees' Retirement System of Baltimore County.
This Notice concerns the certification of a Class by the Circuit Court for Harford County in a class action lawsuit entitled Brian J. Rowe, et al v. Baltimore County, MD, et al. Case No. 12-C-10-002273 OC (the “Lawsuit”). The certified Class includes certain retirees and members of the Employees Retirement System for Baltimore County (“BCERS”) who previously transferred service credit to BCERS from another noncontributory retirement plan or system.
Background
The Plaintiffs in the Lawsuit, like the members of the Class, all transferred service credit from a non-contributory retirement system to BCERS’ contributory retirement system when they became employed by Baltimore County. The Lawsuit claims that Baltimore County has adopted and utilized an illegal method for calculating a reduction (known as a “Deficiency”) to the past and future retirement benefits of persons who transferred service credit from a non-contributory retirement system to BCERS. The Plaintiffs allege that the method used by Baltimore County to calculate that “Deficiency” improperly utilizes a “valuation rate” of interest and not the “regular rate of interest” applied by BCERS to member contributions, which significantly reduces Class members’ retirement benefits and vested rights in a manner which the Plaintiffs contend violates State law. The Plaintiffs seek payment of all underpaid retirement benefits to those Class Members who have or will have retired by the time the Lawsuit concludes, as well as declaratory and injunctive relief requiring the Defendants to calculate and pay future retirement benefits to all Class Members consistent with State law. BCERS and the other Defendants in the Lawsuit dispute the Plaintiffs’ claims and contend that their “valuation rate” method for reducing retirement benefits for persons who transferred service credit from a non-contributory retirement system to BCERS is legal. The Court has not made any judgment or other determination of the Defendant’s liability in the Lawsuit.
For Class Members
The certified Class includes those persons who transferred service credit to BCERS from a noncontributory retirement plan or system whose deficiency under Section 37-203(F)(2) of the State Personnel and Pension Article of the Maryland Annotated Code (or its predecessor statutes) was calculated or under County law will be calculated based on the “valuation rate” established by BCERS and not the “regular rate of interest” applied by BCERS to member contributions. The Class excludes those persons: (i) who withdrew their contributions from BCERS and did not later return to county service and repurchase service credit earned by them; (ii) who after becoming a member in BCERS, transferred their retirement service credit to another jurisdiction and did not subsequently transfer it back to BCERS; and (iii) who timely opt-out of the class.
If you are a member of the Class described above, carefully review the Court-approved Notices for mailing to Class Members (PDF), as it provides important information and deadlines affecting the rights of Class members.
Contact Information
If you are not sure whether you fall within the Class or want more information about the lawsuit, contact the Court-appointed attorney for the Class:
Virginia W. Barnhart of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP
100 Light Street, Floor 26
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Phone: 410-545-5803
Email: Virginia.Barnhart@wbd-us.com
Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFR)
Contact the Office for copies of reports published prior to the dates listed below. The following are PDFs that open in a new window.