Pursuant to SB 579, effective August 28, 1994, CERF was established to provide a retirement benefit to eligible county employees. Prior to August 28, 1994, LAGERS was available in some counties but not all.
An employee who is in LAGERS has a lower contribution rate than someone who is not in LAGERS. For this reason, a non-LAGERS employee gets a full CERF benefit whereas a LAGERS employee gets two-thirds of the benefit.
Depending on the hire date and LAGERS status, contribution rates can be 0%, 2%, 4% or 6%. A county can choose to pay up to 4% for its employees.
CERF’s vesting requirement is eight years of service in a CERF-eligible position with 1,000 hours or more each year. Eligible members can retire as early as age 55 with reduced benefits or age 62 with full benefits.
CERF provides a $10,000 death benefit to eligible employees who die while actively employed.