For purposes of this Article, a town which is not a participating municipality on the effective date of this Act, shall be considered to include the town itself and all other bodies politic heretofor or hereafter established by or subject to the direct or indirect control of the town electors. As so defined, a town may participate in the Fund, on the first day of January after the year in which a valid participation ordinance, adopted by the town electors, has been filed with the Board. The following procedures shall govern adoption of a participation ordinance by the town electors:
(a) A resolution, adopted by the town electors at an annual town meeting, shall authorize the town supervisor to file with the Board of Trustees of the Fund, an application for the town as herein defined to participate, to supply such data as is requested by the Board, and to reimburse the Board for expenses incurred in securing an actuarial evaluation of the effects of participation by the applicant on the financial condition of the Fund and to postpone consideration of the matter of election to participate to a special town meeting.(b) If the Board finds that the town has adequate resources for payment of municipal obligations, and that the actuarial soundness of the fund will not be impaired by participation of the town, the Board shall approve the application and report its action to the town. The report shall include the cost to the town of participation and the initial municipality contribution rate.(c) Upon receipt of an approved application, the Board of Town trustees shall call a special town meeting to be held at a date not earlier than 30 days after the notice of such called meeting is published. The notice of call of the meeting shall state the purpose and shall include the Board's report of costs of participation and the initial municipality contribution rate.(d) An ordinance to elect participation shall specifically provide that it includes participation by all bodies politic, heretofor, or hereafter created, included in the town for purposes of this Article. If such ordinance is adopted, the Town Clerk shall forthwith forward a certified copy thereof to the Fund. Upon the filing of the ordinance, for the purpose of providing benefits to their employees and their survivors, the town and the other bodies politic, whether or not they were participating municipalities, shall be considered and deemed to be a single municipality. It is declared to be the policy of the State, that since the town and the other bodies politic serve the same geographical area, that for the purposes of this Article they are properly designated as a single municipality.
No town may elect to participate in this Fund except as provided in this Section. In any town which has not elected to participate in the Fund on the effective date of this Act, no body politic established by or subject to the control of the town electors may elect to participate in the Fund, except as a part of the town as provided in this Section.
P.A. 91-357, eff. 7/29/1999.