Firefighters Pension Board

Meetings

• 3 PM on the 2nd Wednesday of February, May, August and November
• Fire Department: 528 Green Bay Road
  Winnetka, IL 60093

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.
View Agendas and Minutes

Members

The Firefighters Pension Board (FPB) consists of the following five members: 

• Two members appointed by the Village President
• Two active firefighters elected by their fellow active firefighters
• One retired firefighter elected by the participating retirees

Although not a member of the Firefighters’ Pension Board, the Village Treasurer continues to serve as the Board’s treasurer. The two appointed members are appointed so that their terms expire in alternate years. 

While there is no statutory residency requirement for the appointed members of the Firefighters’ Pension Board, the practice has been for the appointed members to be residents of the Village. If there are no retired firefighters willing or available to serve on the Board, the active firefighters must then elect a third representative. The three elected members are elected by secret ballot at elections held on the third Monday in April. 

Terms

All five members hold office for a term of five years. For purposes of eligibility for both voting and candidacy, a firefighter who is receiving a disability pension is considered a retired firefighter.

Purpose

Pursuant to Article 4 of the Illinois Pension Code, the Village of Winnetka is required to establish and administer a firefighters’ pension fund for the benefit of the Village’s firefighters, and of the firefighters’ surviving spouses, children and certain other dependents. The Firefighters’ Pension Board is a five-member board that is created by Section 4-121 of the Pension Code and is charged by law with controlling and managing the Firefighters’ Pension Fund. The Firefighters’ Pension Fund derives its funds primarily from property taxes and firefighter contributions.

Powers & Duties

The primary functions of the FPB are to:

• Control and manage the Firefighters’ Pension Fund, and all of its investments, expenditures and revenues
• Accept donations for use by the Firefighters’ Pension Fund
• Enforce the statutory requirement that all active firefighters contribute to the fund
• Hear and determine applications for retirement benefits from the Firefighters’ Pension Fund and to order the payment of benefits to qualified beneficiaries
• Hear and determine applications for and order the payment of disability benefits, and to conduct periodic examinations of claimants or recipients to confirm the continuing existence of the disability
• Make rules necessary for the discharge of the Board’s duties and to distribute copies of its rules to all pensioners and contributors
• Invest funds in accordance with the requirements of the Illinois Pension Code
• Submit to the Village Council, at the close of each Village fiscal year, a list of persons entitled to payments from the Firefighters’ Pension Fund
• Conduct actuarial studies, to establish reserves and to determine an annual budget amount sufficient to meet actuarial requirements of the firefighters’ pension fund
• And report annually to the Village Council on the condition of the Firefighters’ Pension Fund, certifying the assets on hand and their current value, estimating receipts and expenditures, and estimating the amounts required to meet the annual requirements of the fund and to amortize the fund’s unfunded accrued liabilities over a period of 40 years from July 1, 1993