Subject to the other provisions of this act, any employee member who shall have served or who shall hereafter have served in the employ of such city in the aggregate for a period of 30 years and who shall have attained the age of 55 years, or who shall have served in the aggregate for a period of 25 years and who have or have not attained the age of 60 years, shall, upon his application, be retired on a pension equal to one-half of the salary he is receiving at the time of his retirement, and for each year of service beyond 30 years and up to 40 years the retiring employee shall, for each additional year, receive an additional pension of 2 1/2 % of the salary received by him at the time of his retirement; provided, however, that the pension shall be reduced by 1/4 of 1% for each month that the member lacks of being age 55, and that no pension shall exceed three-quarters of the annual salary received by the said employee member, nor shall any pension exceed the sum of $12,000.00 per annum.
N.J.S. § 43:13-22.19