State Auditor's Working Group (September and October 2026 Meetings)
The Fire Relief Association Working Group met on September 17 and October 6. Working Group members agreed to pursue legislative changes that would:
Remove the requirement that benefits be calculated using the "present value" of each participant's accrued benefit when a relief association converts from a defined benefit to a defined contribution plan.
Allow fire state aid forfeiture and penalty amounts to remain in the fire state aid pool and carry over to the next fiscal year, instead of reverting to the State's general fund.
Clarify when a relief association must certify unpaid required municipal contribution amounts to the county auditor.
Working Group members also discussed whether the current liability discount rate assumption used to estimate pension liabilities is still reasonable considering updated capital market information the group received. The group will decide at its next meeting whether to recommend an increase to the current 3% discount rate used for fire relief associations paying lump-sum benefits. Working Group members also reviewed guidance regarding qualified plan requirements, specifically around plan assets being held in a trust.
The final Fire Relief Association Working Group meeting of the year will be on Tuesday, October 27, from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm. Meeting materials and a link to watch the live stream will be posted on our Working Group webpage.
Last Updated October 2026