(a) Notwithstanding Section 31641.04 or any other provision of this part, for only the 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, and 1998–99 fiscal years, when the board of supervisors, by resolution, determines that because of an impending curtailment of service or change in the manner of performing service, savings of money, or other economic benefit resulting to the county, the best interests of the county would be served, a member shall be eligible to receive additional service credit if all of the following conditions exist:
(1) The member is employed in a job classification, county department, or other county organizational unit included in the resolution adopted by the board of supervisors.
(2) The member is credited with 10 or more years of service and retires on or between dates specified by the board of supervisors in its resolution. In no event shall the specified period exceed 120 days.
(3) The county transmits to the retirement fund an amount determined by the board of retirement that is equal to the actuarial equivalent of the difference between the allowance the member receives after the receipt of service credit under this section and the amount he or she would have received without that service credit. The transfer to the retirement fund shall be made in a manner and time period acceptable to the county and the board of retirement. However, the payment period shall not exceed five years.
(b) The amount of service credit shall be the amount that the board of supervisors determines, but shall not be more than four years regardless of credited service and shall not exceed the number of years intervening between the date of the member’s retirement and the date the member would be required to be retired because of age and shall not be combined with any additional service credit granted under Section 31641.04.
(c) The resolution described in subdivision (a) shall either identify sufficient deleted positions whose total cost equals or exceed the lump-sum actuarial cost of the additional service credit granted or proclaim that all positions vacated due to the additional service credit granted pursuant to this section shall remain vacant for at least five years and until the lump-sum actuarial cost of the additional service credit granted has been recaptured from position vacancy salary savings.
(d) The board of supervisors shall certify to the board of retirement the extent to which savings will exceed necessary payments to the board of retirement, and the specific measures to be taken to assure that outcome. The board of retirement may require the board of supervisors to provide verification of its certification through independent review.
(e) At the time the county has achieved savings that are more than adequate to meet necessary payments to the board of retirement, or five years after commencement of the retirement period specified in paragraph (2) of this section, whichever occurs first, the board of supervisors shall certify to the retirement board the amount of actual savings and the measures taken to achieve the savings. The board of supervisors shall maintain records for each worker retiring pursuant to this section. The board of retirement may require the board of supervisors to provide verification of its certification through independent review. The board of supervisors shall report these certifications to the Controller, who should summarize the cost and savings information therein in his or her annual report prepared pursuant to Sections 7501 through 7504. The Controller shall perform a postaudit to verify that the savings equal or exceed the lump-sum actuarial cost of the additional service credit granted pursuant to this section. The county shall pay the cost of the postaudit.
(f) A county that elects to make the payment prescribed by subdivision (a) shall make the payment with respect to all eligible employees who retire during the period specified by the board of supervisors.
(g) This section shall not be applicable to any member otherwise eligible if the member receives any unemployment insurance payments during the period six months prior to the period specified pursuant to subdivision (a). This section shall not be applicable to any member if the member is not eligible to retire without the additional credit available under this section.
(h) This section shall not be applicable in any county until it is adopted by ordinance of the board of supervisors. Any county may adopt or readopt this section from time to time as conditions warrant.
(i) Any member who qualifies under this section upon subsequent reentry to county employment shall forfeit the service credit acquired under this section, unless the reentry is a result of a temporary callback pursuant to Section 31680.2, 31680.3, or 31680.6. Any member who receives credit under this section shall not be temporarily employed as an annuitant pursuant to Section 31680.2, 31680.3, or 31680.6 for five years following the date of retirement.
(j) The board of supervisors shall certify to the retirement board that the county has complied with Section 7507.
(k) This section shall not be subject to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 3500) of Division 4 of Title 1.
(l) No additional service credit shall be granted pursuant to this section on or after July 1, 1999.
(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 458, Sec. 2. Effective September 24, 1997.)