Updated:
Ferguson Township Police Pension Fund
The Ferguson Township Police Pension Fund covers retired police officers from the municipality that contains portions of State College, Pennsylvania.
Ferguson Township Police Pension Fund
The Ferguson Township Police Pension Fund covers retired police officers from the municipality that contains portions of State College, Pennsylvania. The plan operates under Pennsylvania's Act 600 of 1956, which governs police pension funds for boroughs and townships with fewer than three full-time officers, though Ferguson Township has grown since the plan's 2001 amendment. The fund provides lifetime monthly benefits and spousal continuance options to eligible retirees. As a municipal defined-benefit plan, the fund's deployment mirrors standard public-safety pension allocation: fixed income, domestic equities, and select alternative investment vehicle commitments dictated by the Pennsylvania Public Employee Retirement Commission oversight and Act 44 stress-testing requirements. The plan makes periodic manager-selection decisions through the township's board of supervisors, who act as plan trustees. Investment posture is defensive — liability matching outweighs return seeking. The fund's scale is implied by the township's size: Ferguson Township's annual municipal budget is under $20 million, and its sworn police force numbers fewer than 30 officers. The plan's actuary, likely a regional Pennsylvania firm, calculates the Minimum Municipal Obligation each year, which is funded through township tax revenues. Philanthropic or sidecar vehicles are not present. The structural differentiator is governance: the Board of Supervisors serves as plan trustee, making asset-allocation and manager-hiring decisions in public meetings. This places investment decisions directly in the political body's purview — a model distinct from independent pension boards common in larger Pennsylvania municipalities. Transparency is high, but investment decision velocity is low.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
1801
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
State College
Corporate office
State College, PA, United States
Frequently asked questions
Who makes investment decisions for the Ferguson Township Police Pension Fund?
The Ferguson Township Board of Supervisors serves as the plan's trustee and makes all investment and actuarial decisions in public meetings. This governance structure means elected officials, not a separate investment committee, approve asset allocations and manager hires. The board's actions are documented in published meeting minutes.
How is the Ferguson Township Police Pension Fund structured from a benefits standpoint?
The plan is a defined-benefit pension that provides retired police officers with a lifetime monthly payout based on final average salary and years of service. It was amended in 2001 to comply with Pennsylvania Act 600, the state law governing police pension funds. Benefits include spousal continuance provisions for surviving spouses of retired officers.
How is the fund's annual contribution level determined?
The township's actuary calculates the Minimum Municipal Obligation each year, a state-mandated funding floor that the township must meet. Ferguson Township's board then allocates general fund tax revenues to cover the obligation. Actuarial valuations are performed periodically to assess the funded ratio relative to the projected benefit obligation.
What is the plan's relationship to the Pennsylvania municipal pension system?
The fund operates independently from the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System, though it falls under the same Pennsylvania Public Employee Retirement Commission oversight. Act 44 of 2009 requires the plan to undergo periodic stress-testing and submit annual reports that include funded status, asset allocation, and contribution history to the state.
Is the fund open to new participants or is it a closed plan?
Police pension plans governed by Act 600 are typically ongoing for active officers, with benefits accruing during employment. Ferguson Township's plan is closed in the sense that only sworn police officers employed by the township participate, but it remains open to new hires who join the force and meet vesting requirements.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on pension funds?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: