{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-12-203","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Local Government § 12–203","heading":"","body":"(a) The County Commissioners of Charles County may provide retirement\nfunds for employees who reach retirement age before the establishment of a pension\nplan under § 12–201 of this subtitle.\n(b) (1) The County Commissioners of Charles County shall establish a\nseparate pension plan for sworn employees of the Charles County Sheriff’s\ndepartment who:\n(i) are actively engaged in law enforcement; and\n(ii) were working in law enforcement within the department\non or before June 30, 1986.\n(2) (i) A member may retire if the member has at least 30 years\nof active service regardless of age.\n(ii) On retirement under this paragraph, a member is entitled\nto receive a retirement allowance equal to 80% of the member’s average base salary\nfor the 3 highest years preceding retirement.\n(3) (i) A member may retire with an early retirement allowance\nif the member has at least 20 years but less than 30 years of active service.\n(ii) On retirement under this paragraph, a member is entitled\nto receive a retirement allowance under paragraph (2)(ii) of this subsection, reduced\nby 2% for each year that the member’s early retirement date precedes the date the\nmember would have had 30 years of active service.\n(4) The contribution rate of a member may not exceed 8% of the\nmember’s base salary.\n(5) The pension plan shall include disability provisions and death\nbenefits for the spouse of a member, minor children of a member, or both.\n(6) The pension plan shall provide for cost–of–living adjustments and\na cash refund of member contributions, plus interest, for a member who terminates\nemployment with the Charles County Sheriff’s department before retirement.\n(7) The pension plan shall provide for a credit of 2% for each year of\nactive duty in the armed forces of the United States, for up to 3 years, to be added to\nthe member’s retirement after reaching minimum retirement.\n(8) For each member, the provisions of the pension plan shall apply\nretroactively to the member’s original date of employment.\n(9) The pension plan is effective on or after July 1, 1995.\n(c) (1) The County Commissioners of Charles County shall establish a\nseparate pension plan for sworn employees of the Charles County Sheriff’s\ndepartment who:\n(i) are actively engaged in law enforcement; and\n(ii) were hired by the Sheriff’s department on or after July 1,\n1986.\n(2) (i) A member may retire if the member has at least 30 years\nof active service regardless of age.\n(ii) On retirement under this paragraph, a member is entitled\nto receive a retirement allowance equal to 80% of the member’s average base salary\nfor the 3 highest years preceding retirement.\n(3) (i) A member may retire with an early retirement allowance\nif the member has at least 25 years but less than 30 years of active service.\n(ii) On retirement under this paragraph, a member is entitled\nto receive a retirement allowance under paragraph (2)(ii) of this subsection, reduced\nby 2% for each year that the member’s early retirement date precedes the date the\nmember would have had 30 years of active service.\n(4) The pension plan shall include provisions for early retirement\nafter 20 years of service that:\n(i) actuarially reduce the retirement allowance depending on\nthe member’s age at the time of retirement and for each year less than 25 years of\nservice; and\n(ii) are approved by the county commissioners.\n(5) The contribution rate of a member may not exceed 8% of the\nmember’s base salary.\n(6) The pension plan shall include disability provisions and death\nbenefits for the spouse of a member, minor children of a member, or both.\n(7) The pension plan shall provide for cost–of–living adjustments and\na cash refund of member contributions, plus interest, for a member who terminates\nemployment with the Charles County Sheriff’s department before retirement.\n(8) The pension plan shall provide for a credit of 2% for each year of\nactive duty in the armed forces of the United States, for up to 3 years, to be added to\nthe member’s retirement after reaching minimum retirement.\n(9) The provisions of the pension plan may include any member who\nwas working in law enforcement on July 1, 1986, and shall apply retroactively to the\ndate of that employment.\n(10) The pension plan is effective on or after July 1, 1995.\n(d) The pension plan established under subsection (b) or (c) of this section\nmay include the Charles County Sheriff.\n(e) (1) The County Commissioners of Charles County shall establish a\nseparate pension plan for employees of the Charles County Sheriff’s department who\nare classified as correctional officers.\n(2) (i) A member may retire if the member has at least 25 years\nof active service regardless of age.\n(ii) On retirement under this paragraph, a member is entitled\nto receive a retirement allowance equal to 2.25% of the member’s average base salary\nfor the 3 highest years preceding retirement multiplied by each year of the member’s\nyears of credited service.\n(iii) A member’s retirement allowance provided under this\nparagraph may not exceed 75% of the member’s average base salary for the 3 highest\nyears preceding retirement.\n(3) (i) A member may retire with an early retirement allowance\nif the member has at least 20 years but less than 25 years of active service.\n(ii) The pension plan shall include provisions for early\nretirement after 20 years of active service that:\n1. actuarially reduce the retirement allowance\ndepending on the member’s age at the time of retirement and for each year less than\n25 years of service; and\n2. are approved by the county commissioners.\n(4) The contribution rate of a member may not exceed 7% of the\nmember’s base salary.\n(5) The pension plan shall include disability provisions and death\nbenefits for the spouse of a member, minor children of a member, or both.\n(6) The pension plan shall provide for cost–of–living adjustments and\na cash refund of member contributions for a member who terminates employment\nwith the Charles County Sheriff’s department before retirement.\n(7) The pension plan shall provide for a credit for each year of active\nduty in the armed forces of the United States, for up to 3 years, to be added to the\nmember’s retirement after reaching minimum retirement.\n(8) The provisions of the pension plan may include any member who\nwas working as a Charles County correctional officer on July 1, 1995, and shall apply\nretroactively to the date of that employment.\n(9) The pension plan is effective on or after July 1, 1995.\n(f) (1) The County Commissioners of Charles County shall establish a\nseparate pension plan for employees of Charles County who are classified as\ncommunications employees.\n(2) (i) A member may retire if the member has at least 25 years\nof active service regardless of age.\n(ii) On retirement under this paragraph, a member is entitled\nto receive a retirement allowance equal to 2% of the member’s average base salary\nfor the 3 highest years preceding retirement multiplied by each year of the member’s\nyears of credited service.\n(iii) A member’s retirement allowance provided under this\nparagraph may not exceed 75% of the member’s average base salary for the 3 highest\nyears preceding retirement.\n(3) (i) A member may retire with an early retirement allowance\nif the member has at least 20 years but less than 25 years of active service.\n(ii) The pension plan shall include provisions for early\nretirement after 20 years of active service that:\n1. actuarially reduce the retirement allowance\ndepending on the member’s age at the time of retirement and for each year less than\n25 years of service; and\n2. are approved by the county commissioners.\n(4) The contribution rate of a member may not exceed 7% of the\nmember’s base salary.\n(5) The pension plan shall include disability provisions and death\nbenefits for the spouse of a member, minor children of a member, or both.\n(6) The pension plan shall provide for cost–of–living adjustments and\na cash refund of member contributions for a member who terminates employment as\na communications employee for Charles County before retirement.\n(7) The pension plan shall provide for a credit for each year of active\nduty in the armed forces of the United States, for up to 3 years, to be added to the\nmember’s retirement after reaching minimum retirement.\n(8) The provisions of the pension plan may include any member who\nwas working as a communications employee for Charles County on July 1, 1995, and\nshall apply retroactively to the date of that employment.\n(9) The pension plan is effective on or after July 1, 1995.","path":["Article - Local Government"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=glg\u0026section=12-203","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:59:58Z","sha256":"8a642a5303254bb428f5a6ec8a08da120e665aa19bb0dd6478e97995292f3225","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-12-202","next":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-12-204"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}