About MERS
Municipal Employees' Retirement System of Louisiana
The Municipal Employees' Retirement System of Louisiana (MERS) was created in 1955 to provide retirement benefits for the employees of the municipalities of the state. Management of the system was entrusted to a Board of Trustees.
Board of Trustees
The Board consists of eleven members: six (6) members elected by the members of the system, the President of the Louisiana Municipal Association, the chairman of the Senate Retirement Committee, a member of the House Retirement Committee appointed by the Speaker of the House, the Treasurer, and the Commissioner of Administration.
A Voluntary System
MERS is a voluntary system and any member employer may withdraw its membership upon payment of its pro rata share of any unfunded accrued liability.
Benefit Responsibility
MERS is a “statewide” system; therefore the state is not a guarantor of the benefits.
Plan A & Plan B
The system consists of two plans:
- Plan A is a traditional defined benefit retirement plan
- Plan B is a defined benefit plan integrated with Social Security