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Where
can I get a copy of the City’s most recent Comprehensive Annual
Financial Report (CAFR)?
The City’s CAFR
is now available for viewing on this web site. If you would like
a hard copy of the CAFR document from the most recent year, please
e-mail Tina.Weston@norfolk.gov or fax (Accounting Manager –
757-664-4064) your request.
Who
can I contact regarding a past due invoice?
Accounts Payable questions
should be directed to the A/P hotline at 664-4087.
Or you may email your questions to FI-AccountsPayable@norfolk.gov
Who can
I contact regarding jury payments?
Questions or inquiries regarding
the status of jury payments should be directed to the Norfolk Sheriff’s
Department at 757-664-4343 or 757-664-4906.
Who
can I call about my taxes?
Questions about payment
of property taxes or city decals should be directed to the City
Treasurer 757-664-7800.
Or you may email your questions to:
What is an Official Statement?
An Official Statement is a document published by the City that discloses
key information regarding a new municipal bond issue. The information includes items such as the purpose of the issue,
the structure and repayment of the debt, and the financial and economic characteristics of Norfolk. Investors may use
this information to evaluate the credit quality of the bond, but the official statement should not be construed as
an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the City’s bonds.
How
do I buy bonds that are issued by the City of Norfolk?
The City does not sell bonds
directly from City Hall. Typically, bonds issued
by the City are sold through a competitive or negotiated sale process. In either case,
the bonds are purchased by a bank or investment firm and then re-marketed
(re-sold) to institutional investors and/or to private individuals.
You would need to contact a local bank or investment firm to find
out details of how to purchase the City’s bonds.
What
do I need to do to be placed on the City’s bidder list?
Complete a City of Norfolk,
Virginia, *Vendor Registration Form by calling the Office of the Purchasing Agent at 757-664-4787 or
E-mail *Stephen.Patterson@norfolk.gov
This form is also available at http://www.norfolk.gov/Purchasing/PDFFiles/vendor.pdf
What is the City’s program for procurement from minority and women owned businesses?
The City encourages the participation of minority
enterprises and collects data to measure awards to minority contractors. The City participates in the
Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council (VMSDC) www.vmsdc.org
How
do I get information regarding previous contracts?
You may request information
about or copies of previous contracts by contacting the Office of
the Purchasing Agent at 757-664-4787 or E-mail * Stephen.Patterson@norfolk.gov.
What
is the limit for procurements requiring a competitive sealed bid?
All goods and services estimated
to cost more than $30,000 are subject to a formal competitive sealed
bid or request for proposals process. Procurements of less than
$30,000 are usually handled by telephone or written requests for
quotations.
How
does the City of Norfolk advertise goods or services being bid?
All goods or services estimated
to cost more than $30,000 are advertised as *business opportunities
located on the City of Norfolk web site. Vendors are encouraged
to *visit the Office of the Purchasing Agent to review requests
for quotations for opportunities under $30,000.
Does
the City of Norfolk provide bid results over the telephone?
No. All interested parties
are requested to furnish a written request for bid results with
a return stamped envelope.
Does the City pay sales
tax?
No. The City of Norfolk
is not required to pay federal or state sales tax. A tax exemption
certificate will be furnished upon request.
Does
the City of Norfolk participate in the use of Commonwealth of Virginia
Contracts?
Yes. The Commonwealth of
Virginia’s, Department of Purchases and Supplies and Department
of Information Technology allow City governments the option to participate
in many contracts for goods and services.
What is the fastest way to obtain bids or proposals?
Bids and proposals may be downloaded from the City's Web site at http://www.norfolk.gov/Purchasing/bids.asp.
Where is the office of the Purchasing Agent?
Granby Municipal Building
401 Monticello Avenue
Suite 420
Norfolk, Virginia 23510
Risk Management
What is risk management?
Risk management pertains to the loss of the City's human,
material, and monetary resources.
The Risk Management office provides two key businesses focused
on risk financing: (1) internal management consulting regarding
insurance, risk analysis and risk financing alternatives; (2) administration
for self-insured workers’ compensation and liability claims.
How
do I report or make a claim to the City for injuries I’ve received
from an accident involving a City vehicle or from being injured
on City property?
Contact the City Attorney’s
Office at:
- City
Attorney, City of Norfolk
- Room
908, City Hall
- 810
Union Street
- Norfolk,
Virginia 23510
- Telephone:
757-664-4529
- Fax:
757-664-4201
How
do I report or make a claim to the City for damages to my property?
For
damages due to conditions of public right-of-ways (i.e. streets/sidewalk/drainage
lines) and sewer/utility lines, contact the City Attorney’s
office at the address noted above.
For other type damages,
i.e. automobile accidents not involving public schools, contact
the City Risk Management Office at:
- Risk
Management, City of Norfolk
- Room
1003, City Hall
- 810
Union Street
- Norfolk,
Virginia 23510
- Telephone:
757-664-4054/4055/4056
- Fax:
757-664-4064
http://www.norfolk.gov/fbs/Director.asp
How
do I resolve a claim or insurance issue involving the Norfolk Public
Schools?
Norfolk Public Schools maintains
a risk management function separate from the City. Contact that
office at:
- Director,
Risk Management
- Norfolk
Public Schools
- 800
East City Hall Avenue
- Norfolk,
Virginia 23510
- Telephone:
757-441-2339
- Fax:
757-441-2802
Who
do I contact regarding Occupational Safety matters?
The City’s occupational
safety and industrial hygiene functions are administered by the
Human Resources Department. Contact the City Safety office at:
- City
Safety Officer, City of Norfolk
- Human
Resources Department
- East
Wing, City Hall
- 810
Union Street
- Norfolk,
Virginia 23510
- Telephone:
757-664-4495/4109
- Fax:
757-664-4492
What
type of plan is the Norfolk Employees’ Retirement System?
The Norfolk Employees’
Retirement System is a non-contributory defined benefit plan.
Who pays for retirement
benefits?
The City currently pays
100% of the annual retirement contributions actuarially computed.
Who authorizes
retirement benefit provisions?
The Norfolk City Council
has the continuing right and power to amend current and future retirement
benefits.
Can I use
my sick leave to qualify me for retirement?
No. Sick leave is added
on as retirement service credit. You get 100% of your sick leave
days certified by your department added on as retirement service
credit. It is calculated on a 22- day work month. (For Firefighters,
it is calculated using a formula.)
Who
is responsible for the administration and management of the System?
The general administration,
management, and responsibility for the proper operations of the
System are vested in the Board of Trustees. The Board consists of
the City Manager, the Director of Finance, and seven (7) trustees
appointed by the City Council.
When are the monthly
Retirement Board meetings?
Generally, Retirement Board meetings
are held every third Thursday of each month.
What
major factors are used to calculate my retirement allowance?
Each member has a very personal
stake in the Retirement System and your benefits will be based on
your own particular situation. Most of the benefits offered by the
System are based on your age, your years of credited service, average
of your 36 highest months of salary (your average final compensation
or AFC) and a benefit accrual rate.
**AFC (times)
creditable years of service (times)
your group benefit accrual rate
How
much money will I make if I retire as of a certain date?
When you are ready to terminate
your employment with the City of Norfolk, we can calculate an estimate
for you based on the average of your highest three years of salary,
the number of years of service, and your particular accrual rate.
Will
my unused annual leave be added to my retirement benefit?
No. You will receive a lump
sum payment from the City for your unused annual leave; only unused
sick leave is credited toward your retirement service credit.
What is my accrual rate?
For General employees entering
the Retirement System before 7/1/80:
2% of AFC capped at 35 years of service
For General employees entering the Retirement System on or after 07/01/80:
1.75% of AFC capped at 35 years of service
For Public Safety employees:
2.5% of AFC capped at 65% of average final compensation
Does the cap include sick leave?
No. The cap applies to retirement accrual benefits only.
What
are the eligibility requirements for retirement?
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Hired Before 7/1/80
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Hired After 7/1/80
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Normal Service
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General Employee
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age 60 or 30 years
creditable service
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age 60 or 30 years
creditable service
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Police, Fire, Paramedic
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age 55 or 25 years
creditable service
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age 55 or 25 years
creditable service
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Early Service
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General Employee
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age 55 or 25 years
of service
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age 55 or 25 years
of service
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Police, Fire, Paramedic
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age 50 or 20 years
of service
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age 50 or 20 years
of service
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Vested Service
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General Employee
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5 years creditable
service
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5 years creditable
service
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Police, Fire, Paramedic
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5 years creditable
service
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5 years creditable
service
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What
are the qualifications to apply for Ordinary Disability Retirement?
An employee needs five (5)
years of creditable service to apply for Ordinary Disability. An
employee must also be certified disabled by our Medical Board then
approved by the Retirement Board.
What
are the qualifications to apply for Accidental Disability Retirement?
There are no service requirements
for an employee to apply for Accidental Disability. The one prerequisite
is that the injury must be compensable under the Workers’ Compensation
Act. Therefore, before we take an application, the employee needs
to be evaluated by Workers’ Compensation, and we need written
verification from Disability Management regarding compensability.
Does
the City of Norfolk provide a death benefit after retirement?
Yes. The City of Norfolk
provides a Retirement Death Benefit at no charge to the retiree.
The benefit is payable to the surviving spouse; if there is no surviving
spouse, it is payable to unmarried children under age 18, or unmarried
children over age 18 who are physically or mentally (at birth) unable
to make a living. It is equal to one-half of the average final compensation
in a single lump sum payment. Currently, the spouse may elect to
receive, instead of the lump sum payment, a continuing monthly benefit
payable until death or remarriage.
If
I die while in active service, is there a death benefit payable?
Yes. The Ordinary Death
Benefit is payable to the named beneficiary. Basically, the benefit
is equal to one-half of your last year’s earnable compensation
in a lump sum payment. When changing beneficiaries,
please complete a Change of Beneficiary form for the Retirement
Office as well as for the Department of Human Resources. Access the PDF file for change of beneficiary form. Change_of_Beneficiary_Form_A
Does
the City of Norfolk have a mandatory retirement age?
Yes. Any member in service
who has attained age sixty-two (62), who is a Police Officer or
Firefighter, shall be retired by the Board on a service
retirement.
When should
I submit my application for retirement?
The Retirement Office can
have your application on file for no more than 90 days and no less
than 30 days in advance. Also, retirements are generally effective
the first day of the month.
Where is the Retirement
Office located?
The Norfolk Employees’
Retirement System is located on the third floor of the City Hall
Building in room 309. The office hours are from 8 a. m. to 5 p.
m. Members visiting the retirement office should call for an appointment
to alleviate service delays. The telephone number is (757) 664-4738.
http://www.norfolk.gov/fbs/Retirement.asp
What is Pension Portability?
Generally, pension portability
means the ability of workers to take their pensions with them when
they leave an employer. For additional information please click on the following PDF - Portability_of_Retirement_Benefits.pdf
Can
the City or I take a loan on my retirement contribution refund or
my vested retirement allowance?
No, the System does not
permit borrowing against any retirement funds.
What happens if
I return to work after retiring?
If you retire from the City
of Norfolk on normal or early retirement and return to City employment
in a position in which you are eligible to again enter the Retirement
System (Permanent, Permanent Part-time, etc.), your retirement check
will stop until you leave City employment. Once you stop working,
you will receive retirement benefits for the second period of service,
as well as resuming your original retirement benefit.
Can
I receive my retirement allowance through direct deposit?
Yes. Direct Deposit is the
convenient, reliable way to get paid. We encourage you to take advantage
of this service. With automatic direct deposit, your money is ready
and waiting for you on payday.
Is my retirement allowance
taxable?
Yes. Retirement benefits
are generally subject to federal and state income taxes. You can
have federal and state taxes withheld from your benefit through
payroll deduction by completing Federal and State Income Tax Withholding
Forms.
Will
I receive a tax form at the end of the year to file my taxes?
Yes. We will mail you a
1099-R tax form before the last working day of January of the following
year. Also, you will receive a separate form for your contributions
and interest. If you retired after January 1st of the year, you
will also receive a W-2 form from the City for wages earned.
What
type of personal information should I continually report to the
Retirement System?
Change of Address
If you have changed your
residence since becoming a member of the Employees' Retirement System,
be sure to provide the staff of the Retirement
System with your new address by completing a Retirement System Change
of Address Form. Change_of_Address_Form
Change of Beneficiary
If the beneficiary named
by you to receive the ordinary death benefit is deceased, or if
there is some other reason for changing your nominated beneficiary,
file with the Retirement System the name of your new beneficiary
without delay.
Change_of_Beneficiary_Form_A
Change of Marital Status
Please submit marital status
documentation and keep the System apprised of any marital status
changes.
Why do
I have to submit a copy of my birth certificate?
Age is one of the major
factors used to qualify you for retirement. Benefits are not paid
until this information has been verified. If you have not yet presented
your birth certificate
to the staff of the Retirement Office, please do so without delay.
When will my retirement
checks be mailed out?
Retirement checks are mailed out the last working day of the month.
With automatic direct deposit, your benefit payment is in your account when your financial institution opens for
business on the last business of the month.
Direct deposit eliminates the standard ten-day waiting period to reissue checks not received because of delay or
loss of checks in the mail or loss by the recipient. A number of retirees have already elected to use this method
to receive their monthly pension payment. Therefore, we encourage you to take advantage of this service.
Access the PDF file for the Direct Deposit Form: Direct_Deposit_Sign_Up_Form
Does
the Retirement System automatically register me for Medicare?
No. Active and retired employees
of the City of Norfolk, who have attained age 65 or are approaching
that age, should register without delay for MEDICARE at the Social Security office in the area of their residence.
Can
the Retirement System assist me with my health insurance, VRS Life
Insurance, or ICMA questions?
No.
Please access the following links for benefit and ICMA questions:
http://www.icmarc.org/
http://www.norfolk.gov/Human_Resources/benefits.asp
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