1. Background

Staff and Structure: The Berkshire County Retirement System is governed locally by the five member Berkshire County Retirement Board. The Chairman of the Board is the County Treasurer. Other Board members include two people elected by participating members in the retirement program, one person appointed by the County Commissioners, and one person appointed by the Retirement Advisory Council, which consists of the Treasuries of all participating towns (all of Berkshire County except for Pittsfield, North Adams, and Adams) and municipal units. The Board meets the third Wednesday of every month. It is overseen by the Public Employees Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC). The office space and facilities of the County Retirement Board/System are furnished by the County Commissioners in the Silvio O. Conte Superior Courthouse.

This program is managed and administered on a daily basis by three full-time employees: Sheila LaBarbera (Executive Secretary), Bill Flynn (Administrative Assistant), and Mike Gaudet (Head Clerk).

Service: The Berkshire County Retirement Board/System administers the pension benefits for numerous participating towns, cities, and other members. The total value of the portfolio managed by the Board/System in conjunction with the Pension Reserve Investment Trust presently equals approximately $70 million (un-funded pension liability equals $30 million).

The primary duties of the three full-time staff members are to: (a) provide the accounting and financial records of the retirement system including the submission of an annual report, (b) collect insurance premiums from retirees and remit such premiums to the towns and districts on a monthly basis, (c) counsel active and retired members on pension benefits, survivor benefits, and disability benefits, (d) present retirement seminars for the active members, and (e) maintain a web page with information about the pension systems and links to other important sites.

It appears that some plans are at least partially in place for the Retirement Board/System to be able to continue independently after the scheduled demise of County government. The State legislation regarding dissolution of Berkshire County Government contains some provisions for the continuation of the retirement system after dissolution of County government. The Retirement System/Board already operates with its own federal identification number and processes payroll and federal and state taxes independently of the County Treasurer’s Office.

2. Actual Service Usage

The Berkshire County Retirement Board serves (a) County employees, (b) 29 towns, and (c) 17 other municipal units. Individual membership equals approximately 2000 active and retired members.

In the 1997 survey conducted by the Berkshire County Task Force twenty-one towns or cities supported the services provided by this program. County records indicated in 1997 that twenty-nine of the towns and cities had participated in this program.

3. Service Costs and Funding

This program is presently self-supporting. All costs are paid for from monies collected in the administration of the retirement funds by the Retirement Board/System.

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