Section 6 - IMRF

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Member Accounts / Past Service / Employer Resolutions / SECTION 6
Elected officials may exercise the option to participate only if the governing body has filed a resolution (Form 6.64,
“Resolution - Elected Officials,” Exhibit 6FF) finding their position qualifies for IMRF coverage (see paragraph
3.65 Participating Members).
IMRF may be contacted to determine if a resolution has previously been submitted. Employer resolutions can also
be viewed via Employer Access.
If an elected official or city hospital employee elects to participate in IMRF, IMRF requires the official’s or
employee’s signature on the “Election To Participate For Qualifying Position” form. As part of the online
enrollment process, a pre-populated “Election To Participate For Qualifying Position” form is created. The
employer will download the pre-populated form, sign it, have the elected official or city hospital employee sign it
and mail it to IMRF along with the signed, pre-populated enrollment form.
Elected officials and hospital employees who wish to participate must complete Form 6.21, “Election to
Participate, Exhibit 6R,” at the time of enrollment. It should be submitted after the employer completes the Online
Enrollment process or with Form 6.10, “Notice of Enrollment in IMRF.”
If an elected official elects to participate
If an elected official elects to participate, the elected official cannot revoke that choice as long as he or she holds
the same elective position within that governmental unit.
If employment is terminated and he or she later holds the same elected position with the same employer, the elected
official will again participate in IMRF. The elected official cannot revoke his or her prior election to participate in
IMRF.
For example: Mary Jones is elected to city clerk and she chooses to participate in IMRF as city clerk. However,
Mary loses her bid for reelection. Several years later Mary again runs for city clerk and this time she wins. Now,
because she chose to participate as city clerk previously, Mary must participate in IMRF now.
If Mary had run for a different elected position, county auditor, for example and won, she could have chosen not to
participate because she had never chosen to participate under the county auditor position.
The same rules apply whether an elected official loses a bid for reelection or resigns. Once an elected official
chooses to participate, the elected official must participate as long as he or she holds that same position.
NOTE: a special temporary provision did permit elected officials to permanently revoke an election to participate
from September 8, 1991, through December 31, 1991.
If a city hospital worker elects to participate
If a city hospital worker elects to participate, he or she cannot revoke that election as long as the member is
employed by the city hospital.
If the member terminates and later returns to employment with the same city hospital, the city hospital employee
cannot revoke his or her prior election to participate.
6.10 F. Election of Elected County Official to Participate in ECO
The ECO Plan is closed to new members as of August 8, 2011.
6.10 G. Election of Police Chief to Participate as a SLEP Member (Form 6.22, Exhibit 6T)
Appointed police chiefs of cities, towns and villages that have formed their own police pension fund under Article
3 of the Illinois Pension Code have the option to participate in either the local police pension fund or in IMRF
SLEP. Participation under IMRF’s Regular plan is not an option for these police chiefs. A chief of police who
elects to participate in IMRF as a SLEP member must complete Form 6.22, “Election of Police Chief to Participate
as a SLEP Member,” (Exhibit 6T).
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