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Metro East Sun

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Analysis: Godfrey Paid Firefighters Pension Fund would go bankrupt in 49 years without taxpayer subsidy

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Without members and taxpayers subsidizing its revenue, the Godfrey Paid Firefighters Pension Fund would have lost $153,929 in 2018, according to a Metro East Sun analysis of the latest data reported to the Illinois Department of Insurance Pension Division.

The fund has $7,391,919 in total assets. If the fund’s annual losses stay the same, it would run out of money in 49 years without these subsidies.

The fund earned $348,243 in investment income and other revenue in 2018. At the same time, it paid out $502,172 in expenses, according to the 2019 biennial report detailing the health of each of the state’s pension funds and retirement systems. The difference between the two shows the fund’s annual loss without subsidies.

Taxpayers added $562,736 to the fund’s revenue last year – an amount that has increased from $340,193 five years ago. Members contributed an additional $117,525 – $5,657 more than five years ago.

In all, subsidies amounted to $680,261 in 2018.

Godfrey Paid Firefighters Pension Fund non-subsidy revenue over five years
YearTotal non-subsidy revenueTotal expensesOutcome without subsidies
2018$348,243$502,172-$153,929
2017$392,723$489,250-$96,527
2016-$23,937$459,485-$483,422
2015$367,637$426,079-$58,442
2014$313,491$399,162-$85,671

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