Volunteer (Non-Paid) Position - Fire and Police Disability and Retirement (FPDR) Board of Trustees

The Position

The City of Portland is seeking applications for a citizen trustee to serve a three-year term on the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement (FPDR) Board of Trustees.

The FPDR Fund and FPDR Plan are administered by a Board of Trustees which acts as an independent public body. The board has the authority to make administrative decisions regarding the FPDR Plan. The purpose of the Board is to ensure that the provisions of Chapter 5 of the Charter of the City of Portland are followed so that Fire and Police sworn employees and their survivors receive the benefits due to them and that the funds provided by the taxpayers of the City of Portland are expended prudently.

The FPDR Board of Trustees has five members:

• One active member serving in Portland Fire and Rescue (PF&R) elected by the active members of PF&R
• One active member serving in the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) elected by the active members of PPB
• Two citizen members
• The Mayor or designee

All Trustees are volunteers and serve without compensation.

Per Chapter 5 of the City Charter, Section 5.201, Citizen Trustees are nominated by the Mayor and approved by City Council. The interview team's recommendation will be forwarded to the Mayor for their consideration.

To Qualify

Citizen trustees cannot be an active or past member or a beneficiary of the FPDR Plan or have been employed by Portland Fire and Rescue or the Portland Police Bureau.

Citizen trustees must be a citizen of the City of Portland and have relevant experience in pension and disability matters. The new citizen trustee will serve a term from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2030.

About FPDR

The Bureau of Fire and Police Disability and Retirement provide operational administration for the FPDR Fund. The FPDR Bureau processes and administers all claims for disability, retirement, and death benefits. It also provides the Board of Trustees with the information they need to administer the FPDR Fund. In addition, the FPDR Bureau is overseen by a Fund Administrator (Bureau Director) who has the authority to determine eligibility for benefits.

The FPDR Plan is funded through a dedicated property tax levy on all taxable property within the City of Portland. Each year, the Board prepares an estimate of the amount of money required to pay and discharge all requirements of the FPDR Plan for only the next fiscal year. The estimate is sent to the Portland City Council, which levies a tax sufficient to raise the required funds.

The FPDR Fund does not retain any monies to pay for future benefits. This is called "pay as you go" funding. The FPDR Plan differs from most public defined benefit retirement plans that hold portions of employee and employer contributions in a managed fund in order to have sufficient funds to pay future benefits.