GREELEY, CO - NOVEMBER 18:The Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment, located at 1555 North 17th Ave., is seen as the sun sets in Greeley Nov. 18, 2021. (Alex McIntyre/Staff Photographer)

No Weld County Health Department retirees will see any reduced benefits after learning last month that they overpaid into their pension fund.

Just over 20 retirees affected found out late last week that there will be no impact to their retirement benefits moving forward despite an accounting error made by previous staff, according to the county.

Public Employees Retirement Association Senior Communications Director Patrick Von Keyserling said that since both the county and the retirees made contributions, there is no harm to the pension fund moving forward, and the 22 retirees affected by the mistake will not see any change to retirement benefits.

Along with the retirees, the error affected an additional 110 current and former employees, Weld County Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Pattelli said. Those employees should receive a refund for the excess payments in the coming weeks.

We are pleased with the outcome and appreciate the partnership with PERA, Pattelli said.

Through a survey performed late last year, PERA discovered an issue with how the county handled pre-tax deductions for employees who were PERA members on or before June 30, 2019.

Pattelli said the county had not taken out pre-tax deductions from Section 125 benefits for the affected employees salaries when calculating retirement benefits. It resulted in overstating employees salaries to PERA and the employees and the county paying more into the retirement fund than required.

Money placed in Section 125 flexible spending accounts, other than contributions to health savings accounts, arent considered salary for PERA purposes for those whose membership began on or before June 30, 2019. For those who began membership after that date, contributions to such accounts are includable, according to the PERA website.

Staff do not know how the error occurred, because it occurred before the current staffs tenure, according to the county.

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Weld Health Department retirees to see no change to retirement benefits - Greeley Tribune