FAQs • Norfolk, VA • CivicEngage

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Finance

1. Where can I get a copy of the City's most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR)?: The City’s CAFR is available for viewing online. If you would like a hard copy of the document from the most recent year Click Here

2. Who can I contact regarding jury payments?: Questions or inquiries regarding the status of jury payments should be directed to the Treasurer's office at 757-664-7800.

3. Who can I call about my taxes?: Questions about payment of property taxes should be directed to the City Treasurer’s office 757-664-7800. Questions regarding the assessment of Personal Property taxes should be directed to the Commissioner of the Revenue, at 757-664-7884, and regarding the assessment of Real Estate taxes should be directed to the City Assessor’s office at 757-664-4732. Additional information may be found on the City Treasurer’s page.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. What is risk management?: Risk management pertains to how the City addresses the loss of the City's human, material, and monetary resources and involves the systematic and continuous identification of loss exposures, an analysis of exposures in terms of frequency and severity probabilities, an application of sound risk control and safety procedures, and financing/handling of risk mitigation strategies consistent with the City's financial resources. Risk Management includes a variety of operations: Non-litigated tort claims, claims administration, employee safety, auto liability, and all property and casualty programs (both insured and self-insured). The Risk Management Division supports two key business functions focused on risk financing: These include internal management consulting regarding insurance, risk analysis, and risk financing alternatives and administrative oversight of liability claims. The Risk Manager oversees these operations and handles the negotiation and acquisition of insurance.

7. How do I report injuries I’ve received from an accident involving a city vehicle or from being injured on city property?

To file a report or make a claim, contact:

City Attorney’s Office

810 Union St., Ste. 900

Norfolk, VA 23510

Phone: (757) 664-4529

Fax: (757) 664-4201

Email: claims@norfolk.gov

8. How do I report or make a claim to the city for damages to my property only?: For damages due to conditions of public rights of way (i.e., streets / sidewalk / drainage lines) and sewer / utility lines / potholes / fallen trees contact the City Attorney’s Office via email at claims@norfolk.gov.

9. How do I resolve a claim or insurance issue involving the Norfolk Public Schools?

Norfolk Public Schools maintains a risk management division separate from the city. Contact their office:

Norfolk Public Schools

Director, Risk Management

800 E. City Hall Avenue

Norfolk, VA 23510

Phone: (757) 628-3856

Fax: (757) 628-3817

10. 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:

City Safety Officer

City of Norfolk

Human Resources Department

800 East City Hall Avenue

Norfolk, VA 23510

Ph: (757) 664-4495

Fax: (757) 664-4078

11. What type of plan is the Norfolk Employees' Retirement System?: The Norfolk Employees’ Retirement System is a non-contributory defined benefit plan.

12. Who pays for retirement benefits?: The city currently pays 100% of the annual retirement contributions computed.

13. Who authorizes retirement benefit provisions?: The Norfolk City Council has the continuing right and power to amend current and future retirement benefits.

14. 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.

15. 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 trustees appointed by the City Council.

16. When are the monthly Retirement Board meetings?: Generally, Retirement Board meetings are held every third Thursday of each month.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. What is my accrual rate?

For general employees entering the Retirement System before July 1, 1980:

2% of AFC capped at 35 years of service

For general employees entering the Retirement System on or after July 1, 1980:

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

21. Does the cap include sick leave?: No, the cap applies to retirement accrual benefits only.

22. What are the qualifications to apply for Ordinary Disability Retirement?: An employee needs five 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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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 earned 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.

26. Does the City of Norfolk have a mandatory retirement age?: Yes, any member in service who has attained age 62, who is a police officer or firefighter, shall be retired by the board on a service retirement.

27. 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.

28. 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 office should call for an appointment to alleviate service delays. The telephone number is 757-664-4738.

29. What is pension portability?: Generally, pension portability means the ability of workers to take their pensions with them when they leave an employer.

30. 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.

31. 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 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.

32. 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.

33. 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.

34. 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 1 of the year, you will also receive a W-2 form from the city for wages earned.

35. 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 system with your new address by completing a Retirement System 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 Marital Status

Please submit marital status documentation and keep the System apprised of any marital status changes.

36. 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.

37. 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 10-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.

38. 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.

39. Can the retirement system assist me with my health insurance, VRS Life Insurance, or ICMA questions?

No, please access the following link for ICMA questions: