Welcome to the Atlanta Pension Funds
Membership Association's Web Page
We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of City of Atlanta Retirees, Retiree Spouses and Domestic Partners.
All retired and active City of Atlanta employees are eligible and welcome to join.
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Last updated May 14, 2009 by Lou Arcangeli
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Table of Contents: (click on the bold print below to go to each page)
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About APFMA : Letter to City of Atlanta Retirees describing our association.
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Board of Directors: A list of APFMA officers and the board of directors.
This page also provides the names and contact information of the elected Retired Trustee of each of the three pension funds board of trustees.
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For Information Contact: Note that while the APFMA does NOT provide pension or health insurance services,
Service provider contact information for both pension and health insurance is available on this page.
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Recent news: Links to recent news articles about City of Atlanta pension, health insurance and budget issues.
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Retired Police Officer Information: Information on retired police officers' concealed firearm laws and requirements.
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Post your customer service feedback here: Members can share customer service experiences with
City of Atlanta Health Insurance and Pension services, Insurance providers, or about their experiences with Administrative Services Inc. (ASI).
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Calender of Coming Events: APFMA meeting schedule and retiree events.
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SPEAKER AT SPRING MEMBERSHIP MEETING May 14, 2009:
Adam Webb, Esq. regarding possible legal action about health insurance.
MEMORANDUM
TO: Atlanta Pension Fund Membership Association
FROM: E. Adam Webb, Esq. – Webb, Klase & Lemond, L.L.C.
Matthew C. Klase, Esq. – Webb, Klase & Lemond, L.L.C.
RE: City of Atlanta’s Misrepresentations Concerning Retiree Health Coverage
________________________________________________________________________¬¬¬______
We represent retired City of Atlanta (“City”) fireman Lamar Cagle in connection with the injuries and damages he sustained as the result of
misrepresentations made by the City concerning retiree health insurance benefits. This memorandum contains a summary of the issue facing not
only Mr. Cagle, but potentially hundreds of other City retirees as well.
Mr. Cagle served the City as a fireman for many years. He was originally hired by the City prior to April 1, 1986, and is thus not automatically
Medicare-eligible.
On June 19, 2008, the City passed Ordinance No. 08-O-1024. This Ordinance was an attempt by the City to lower the amount of money it
contributes to health insurance and benefits for City retirees and their families. The Ordinance states as follows:
SECTION 1 – Effective September 1, 2008, the City will require Medicare eligible retirees, their spouses and dependents to obtain both Part A and
B of Medicare at the time of eligibility in order to receive City of Atlanta retiree benefits. Medicare eligible retirees will be offered a group Medicare
Advantage Plan or similar benefits plan. Employees hired before April 1, 1986 who are not Medicare eligible will receive the same benefit plan as
offered active employees.
Pursuant to the plain language of this Ordinance, persons hired by the City prior to April 1, 1986 (“pre-1986 retirees”) were not required to become
Medicare-eligible and accept one of the Medicare Advantage Plans offered by the City. Nonetheless, the City failed to disclose this fact to many pre-
1986 retirees, including Mr. Cagle.
For instance, in written notices and at the open enrollment informational meetings, City representatives encouraged pre-1986 retirees, including Mr.
Cagle, to obtain Medicare Part A and B coverage or face the prospect of losing their benefits. The City representatives, however, failed to disclose
that these individuals were not required by the new legislation to take any steps to change their current insurance coverage. The City’s
misrepresentations led many pre-1986 retirees to unnecessarily incur expenses to become Medicare-eligible and switch to a City-approved group
Advantage Plan. The City’s motivation in failing to make this critical fact clear is obvious – to conserve City funds by passing the majority of the
expenses associated with retiree health coverage to the federal government. While cost-saving by the City is laudable, such savings should not be
achieved by imposing an undue burden on fixed-income retirees like Mr. Cagle.
The issue affecting Mr. Cagle affects all City retirees who:
(i) were hired before April 1, 1986;
(ii) signed up for Medicare A and B in the last six months at the request of the City; and
(iii) paid penalties to do so and/or pay higher monthly health care premiums now than before.
The retirees who fit this criteria, like Mr. Cagle, have incurred (and will continue to incur on a monthly basis) damages based on the City’s
misrepresentations.
Our investigation is ongoing and our hope is that the City will recognize this problem and take all necessary steps to rectify the damage its
misrepresentations have caused, not only for Mr. Cagle, but for all adversely affected retirees. We believe the City will be much more likely to take this
issue seriously if the Pension Fund as a whole joins Mr. Cagle in this fight. We look forward to meeting you all at the bi-annual meeting on May 14,
2009 to discuss the issue in further detail and answer all questions you may have.
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Please join us at our
2009 SPRING GENERAL MEMBERSHIP AND BOARD MEETING LUNCHEON.
This year we are having an indoor barbecue.
DATE: May 14, 2009
PLACE: Adamsville Recreation Center
3201 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, S.W. (Room 2)
Atlanta, Georgia 30311
(404) 505-3181
TIME: 12:00 NOON - 2:00 PM
PRICE: $5.00 FOR ADVANCE REGISTRATION (PLEASE RESPOND BY MAY 1, 2009 TO INSURE ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF FOOD) $7.00 AT THE
DOOR. HOWEVER, WE ARE ENCOURAGING YOU TO PAY IN ADVANCE.
MENU: Sonny’s Barbecue , several sides, peach cobbler, tea
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LUNCHEON REGISTRATION
Name___________________________________________________________
Address_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Number Attending_________ @ $5.00 each Amount enclosed_____________
RSVP by May 1, 2009 in enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope to:
APFMAI
P.O. Box 2099
Smyrna, GA. 30081-2099
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The next Board Meeting will be held April 9, 2009, 11:00 AM at Picadilly Restaurant in College Park on Godby Road. (In
the meeting room in the back).
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MARCH 2009 NEWS:
A Reminder to police and fire retirees. Under the Federal Pension Protection Act of 2006, beginning with the 2007 tax year, retired public safety
officers can elect to exclude up to $3,000 of their taxable pension distributions (your retirement income) for premiums paid directly from the pension
for health insurance and/or long term care insurance. http://www.irs.gov/publications/p575/ar02.html
For details see (or refer your tax preparer to) IRS publication 575 "2008 Pension and Annuity income" at the link below.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p575.pdf
LA
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February 2009 News:
WARNING:
The City of Atlanta General Pension and COA Board of Education RETIREES 1099-R forms sent out by the COA Finance Department are incorrect.
DO NOT EARLY FILE with this 1099-R as you will need to resubmit an amended return later.
The COA Finance Department reports that corrected 1099-R forms will be mailed out as soon as possible, possibly as soon as Friday.
There were no problems reported with the Police and Fire 1099-R forms mailed by ASI.
LA
1:30pm on 2-2-2009
UPDATE February 17, 2009:
As of February 17 several General Employee Pensioners reported receiving CORRECTED 1099-R forms that included the correct State of
Georgia Income tax withheld.
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COLA: The Cost of Living Adjustment increase will be 3% and will start on the January 30 pension check. LA 12-30-2008
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Recent information for pensioners in table below
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Note:
Several APFMA members have experienced significant increases in their health insurance costs as a result of the changes implemented by the COA.
We welcome anyone interested in working with us on this issue to attend our January 8 meeting.
LA
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**** December 11, 2008****
A special thanks to Councilmember Caesar Mitchell for speaking to our association at the December 11th
membership meeting.
We are grateful to Ms Jeannine Lowery, grassroots coordinator for Georgia Watch, for her invaluable information
about how to take action to protect yourself from identity theft and how to freeze (and thaw)
your credit. For additional information contact Ms. Lowery at jlowery@georgiawatch.org, or via telephone at (404)
525-1085. Georgia Watch has a very informative web page at: www.georgiawatch.org
We are also grateful to Mr. James Johnston, Regional Volunteer leader of AARP, for representing AARP at this
meeting and for the information and pamphlets he distributed to our membership. For additional information contact
Mr. Johnston at 770-228-8729 or via e-mail at jjohnst2@bellswouth.net. For additional info go to www.AARP.org.
Also present at our meeting was Ms. Chiquita Bradley of A.S.I.
President Joe Studgeon presented Mr. William R. Harber a plaque on behalf of the Board of Directors for Mr.
Harber's years of service and personal commitment to our Association of Atlanta Retirees. Thank you Mr. Harber!
Hope to see everyone at the Spring membership meeting May 14, 2009. (Details soon...)
Lou Arcangeli (Webmaster)
12-11-20
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Christmas Membership Luncheon Reminder December 11, 2008 at the Adamsville Recreation Center
Guest Speaker Councilmember Caesar Mitchell
All active members were sent invitations. If you want to pay your dues and or make a reservation for the luncheon please e-mail Shirley Crenshaw,
Shirley Crenshaw at ecrenshaw3@aol.com.
In addition to our guest speaker, representatives of ASI (Administrator for Police and Fire retirees) and the City of Atlanta will be at the luncheon to
answer your questions.
LA
ATLANTA PENSION FUNDS MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION, INC.
P.O. BOX 2099
SMYRNA, GEORGIA 30081-2099
(404) 349-2095
Dear Fellow City of Atlanta Pensioner:
You are invited to attend the Atlanta Pension Funds Membership Association, Inc. Annual Christmas Membership Luncheon meeting that will be
held on THURSDAY, December 11, 2008 at 11:00 am in the Adamsville Recreation Center located at 3201 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Atlanta,
Georgia. The Adamsville center has plenty of parking, is all on one level, and is located just inside I-285.
We will have various guest speakers for the Christmas Luncheon.
There is no cost to attend the meeting. Lunch will be catered by Sonny’s and APFMAI members can purchase their meal in advance for $6.00 using
the attached form. You can also purchase lunch at the door for $8.00. Please return your RSVP as soon as possible, as we need to receive your
confirmation by November 21, 2008 in order to ensure a sufficient amount of food for the luncheon. The Association will be responsible for the cost
of tipping the servers.
YES… We will continue the tradition of DOOR PRIZES and we hope to see you there!
I ask that you join me in congratulating Robert Tolbert who is our new Treasurer. Robert is retired from the City of Atlanta Fire Department.
Reminder: Please make every effort to attend at least one meeting for insurance open enrollment in 2009.
On behalf of the entire Board of Directors we welcome your input and solicit your ideas and involvement. We invite you to attend our monthly Board of
Directors meetings and to call any of our Board Members with your questions or concerns. Please visit our web site at www.apfma.org. The dates
for our meetings for the year 2009 are:
January 8
February 12
March 12
April 9
May14 (Annual Spring Membership Meeting & Luncheon)
June 11 (No meetings in July and August)
September 10
October 8
November 12
December10 (Tentative Annual Christmas Meeting & Luncheon)
It is also renewal time for our 1 year members. PLEASE complete the application below and mail with your dues annual membership dues in the
enclosed envelope.
Sincerely,
Joseph Studgeon
President
Atlanta Pension Funds Membership Association, Inc.
PS: Remember to mark your calendar now for the THURSDAY, December 11, 2008, 11:00 AM meeting!
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Membership and Renewal Application
Name________________________________Phone_________________
Address____________________________________________________
City____________________________State___________Zip__________
E-Mail____________________________Cell Phone_________________
Retired From_________________________(Fire, General, Police, School)
Cash or
Paid By Check #________________ 1 YEAR ( ) 3 YEAR ( ) LIFETIME ( )
$10.00 $25.00 $150.00
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SOME PENSIONERS UNABLE TO CASH CHECKS DUE TO CITY ERROR! September 30- 2008 3pm
I received this letter from our administrator this afternoon. She reports that it should be corrected by the business hours
tomorrow, October 1, 2008.
LA
Please be advised that some of the pension checks which were issued this
month are not being honored by the Bank/Wachovia.
I wanted you to be aware, as we have been on the phone since Monday working with Wachovia
to make sure they all go through today. The reason for this that the new enrollment
file, for Insurance deductions, which came from City of Atlanta was incorrect. Many of the
deductions are wrong, etc. ASI/ABPA corrected and input all that we could in order to
make sure checks went out timely with all new deduction information.
We also had to send Wachovia a new "positive pay file". This was done Monday, and in the
turmoil of their acquisition by Citigroup, the file was not loaded. What this means is
that some pensioners who go to the bank to cash a check are being turned away as the
check amount does not match the amount sent on the tape.
In these challenging economic times, it is a concern to your participants and to us when
something like this occurs. We are being pro-active and following up with the bank to
make sure the issue is resolved today.
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Problem with your Insurance? Retirees should contact the COA employee below according to the first letter of your last name:
A-D Gloria Hampton 404-330-6755
E-K Betty Seay 404-330-6563
L-R Kokbeb Abazenab 404-330-6171
S-Z Latasha Freeman 404-330-6891
9-30-2008
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PROBLEM WITH CONFIRMATION LETTERS! I received this information today and am forwarding it to our members.
The City has advised that they need your help regarding the information sent out in the Confirmation of Coverage Letters.
September 2, 2008
Please note as a result of system errors some Confirmation of Coverage Letters are not correct. Additionally some Retirees who intended to choose
coverage with BCBS SmartValue did not submit a SmartValue Application.
The Retiree should make corrections and return the corrected Confirmation of Coverage form as instructed.
1. If the Retiree has a BCBS SmartValue card, the coverage is in effect even if the City does not show coverage @ this time.
2. If the Retiree selected BCBS SmartValue and does not have a BCBS SmartValue card they should call SmartValue @ 1-866-657-4970.
3. If the Retiree did not complete their BCBS SmartValue Application it should be completed at this time and returned with the corrected Confirmation
of Coverage.
All retirees who wanted coverage, will have coverage! If the choice for this contract year does not show in effect, the director has made arrangements
for last year’s coverage to be accepted.
(?)
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July 1, 2008
A quick summary of the meetings in June regarding changes to retiree health insurance:
1. There will be NO gap in coverage.
2. All retirees eligible for Medicare will have to sign up for Medicare A and B.
3. The City of Atlanta will continue to provide insurance for retirees who are not eligible for medicare.
4. The cost of insurance will rise. The amount will be provided in the Open Enrollment package that will be sent in July.
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June 16, 2008
The COA has sent letters (last Thursday) to all retirees over 60 announcing three medicare/insurance information meetings.
(These are NOT open enrollment sessions)
These meetings are tentatively scheduled for:
Tuesday, June 17, 2pm-4pm Civic Center
Wednesday, June 18, 2pm-4pm City Hall
Sunday, June 22, 2pm-4pm. City Hall East
The letter also confirmed that open enrollment meetings will begin in July.
Our President Joe Studgeon and I will attend one of these meetings and will post any information received on our association web page:
www.APFMA.org
Lou
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Changes proposed for Retiree Health Insurance: (Post June 1, 2008)
See PROPOSED City Ordinance 08-O-1024 to see the direction the City is going for the new "benefit plan
year" starting September 1, 1008. This proposed ordinance is being held in the Finance Executive
Committee of City Council as of May 28, 2008.
http://apps.atlantaga.gov/citycouncil/2008/images/proposed/08O1024.pdf
LA
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The following Insurance Email Notice was distributed by COA Employee Benefits
(5-27-08)
Please note the recommendations regarding rates and retiree participation in Medicare is pending Council
recommendation and the Mayor’s approval.
The Mayor’s Office, Finance Department and DHR have been working together regarding the City’s
insurance benefits for FY-09 for the past several months. Included in those discussions was the need to
change our benefit plan year in order to meet a request made by City Council. The City Council wanted
sufficient time to completely review and approve the insurance contribution rates when they reviewed the
full budget. Since we moved to a fiscal budget year, City Council has been forced to accept our
recommendations prior to reviewing the budget in order to meet timelines for open enrollment data entry in
May or early June for an effective date of July 1.
There was legislation introduced during Finance Executive committee meeting to extend the current
insurance agreements for an additional 2 months (a Plan Year of 14 months) with the current rates staying
in place for July and August and the new rates starting on September 1. Changing the insurance plan year
to a September 1 effective date allows all parties sufficient time to review and approve budgets, conduct
open enrollment and provide the insurance carriers with eligibility information.
We expect to mail Open Enrollment Material in late June, early July with Meetings in mid July. As a result of
Budget Issues it has been proposed that The City require that all retirees eligible for Medicare, participate in
both part A & part B. We plan to have informational meetings in mid June to provide Retirees with an
overview of the Medicare issues.
Thanks to Chief D.E. Sparks for providing this information.
LA 5-27-2008
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February 19, 2008
UPDATE: New IRS deduction for Public Safety Employees (see section in green below)
Bill Brockman, Retired from Fire Department, informed me that Turbo Tax allowed him to make the deduction.
Note that the health insurance premium is not available on the 1099-r form. You will have to see the monthly
statement from December. LA
UPDATE: Retired APD Sgt. Fred Kent sent me the following on: Friday, February 15, 2008 2:22 PM
"I spoke to Mrs. McHugh (IRS) this morning about the insurance problem. She is one of the people assigned to
retirement section of the IRS for the Atlanta Ga area. She said that we could claim our insurance premiums as long
as it reduced our pension pay. It didn't matter who paid it. She said the way you calculate it was to put it in 16b on
the 1040 form and write beside it PSO for Public Safety Officer. Then in the final column you reduce it from the
original amount. I told her that we had received information from different attorneys
that we could not use it and she said as long as it reduced our pension pay by them
taking it out on us that we could claim it."
Thanks to Freddie Kent for his research. This looks good!
LA
The info below is from a New York City Police Retirement page:
"Beginning with the 2007 tax year, retired public safety officers should report their total pension distributions on line 16a of Form 1040.
Assuming that an officer qualifies for the insurance premium exclusion, the $3,000 exclusion should be recognized in line 16b of Form 1040,
where the public safety officer should write the initials “PSO” next to the taxable amount received.
We suggest THAT our retirees consult with their accountants or tax professional regarding this new tax law."
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General Pension Fund Retirees: 1099-r forms were sent January 30, 2008. You should receive yours by February 4th.
Police and Fire Retirees: I received the corrected 1099-r on Friday, Feb 1, 2008. (see below)
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Tax Form Problem- Police and Fire Retirees.
The 1099-R tax form mailed to Police and Fire retirees on January 28 was incorrect.
ASI sent a corrected version, and a letter of apology for any inconvenience, on Thursday,
January 31.
If you want to talk to someone at ASI call the numbers below.
The ASI DIRECT CONTACT information is:
For retirees whose last names begin with
A thru O contact Ms. Rouser at 678-221-5018 arouser@abpa.com
T thru Z contact Ms. Bradley at 678-221-5015 cbradley@abpa.com
I'll update the Atlanta Pension Funds Membership Association web-page if anything changes.
L.A.
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3% COLA: The annual Bureau of Labor Statistics cost of living adjustment for 2007 2.53051%.
Everyone who retired before February 1, 2005 will have a 3% COLA added to their January 31 check or direct deposit.
People who retired since 2-1-2005 will have a Cost of Living Adjustment according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
cost of living index. This is calculated according to the inflation rate (Cost of Living) since your date of retirement and
has been prepared by Chuck Carr of Southern Actuarial services.
The data used to calculate the City of Atlanta COLA is available at Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://data.bls.gov
See Series Id: CUUR0000AA0 U.S. All Items, 1967=100
Recent approximate annual COLA's provided to COA Retirees are cited below:
2004 2.35505%
2005 2.24072%
2006 3%
2007 3%
2008 3% (For COA employees who retired prior to February 1, 2005)
Note that the COA calculation is DIFFERENT from the social security COLA calculation.
I invite any member who would like the source Bureau of Labor Statistics data used by the actuary (Chuck Carr of Southern Actuary Services)
to calculate the COLA to contact me, the APFMA webmaster Lou Arcangeli, at lou@apfma.org.
LA
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If your date of Retirement was
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2007 COLA
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On or before February 1, 2005
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3%
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March 1 2005 thru January 1, 2006
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2.9595%
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February 1, 2006
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2.6683%
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March 1 - January 1, 2007
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2.5305%
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Since February 1, 2007
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Contact ASI
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ATLANTA PENSION FUNDS MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION, INC.
P.O. BOX 2099
SMYRNA, GEORGIA 30081-2099
Dear Fellow City of Atlanta Pensioner:
You are invited to attend the Atlanta Pension Funds Membership Association, Inc. Annual Christmas Membership Luncheon
meeting that will be held on THURSDAY, December 6, 2007at 11:00 am at the Adamsville Recreation Center at 3201 Martin
Luther King, Jr. Drive, Atlanta, Georgia. The Adamsville center has plenty of parking, is all on one level, and is located just
inside I-285.
Our guest speaker for the Christmas Luncheon will be Ms. Janice C. Davis, Chief Financial Officer for the City of Atlanta.
There is no cost to attend the meeting. Lunch will be catered by Sonny’s and APFMA members can purchase their meal in
advance for $6.00 using the attached form. You can also purchase lunch at the door for $8.00. Please return your RSVP as
soon as possible, as we need to receive your confirmation by November 21, 200 in order to ensure a sufficient amount of food
for the luncheon. The Association will be responsible for the cost of tipping the servers.
YES… We will continue the tradition of DOOR PRIZES and we hope to see you there!
I ask that you join me in congratulating several new members who have joined our Board of Directors in 2007. Bill Brockman
from the Fire Department and Shirley Crenshaw from the Police Department (new Secretary this year).
On behalf of the entire Board of Directors we welcome your input and solicit your ideas and involvement. We invite you to attend
our monthly Board of Directors meetings and to call any of our Board Members with your questions or concerns. The dates for
our meetings for the year 2008 are:
January 10
February 14
March 13
April 10
May 8 (Annual Spring Membership Meeting & Luncheon)
June 12 (No meetings in July and August)
September 11
October 9
November 13
December 11 (Tentative Annual Christmas Meeting & Luncheon)
It is also renewal time for our 1 year members. PLEASE complete the application below and mail with your dues annual
membership dues in the enclosed envelope.
Sincerely,
Joseph Studgeon
President
Atlanta Pension Funds Membership Association
PS: Remember to mark your calendar now for the THURSDAY, December 6, 2007 11:00 AM meeting!
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Membership and Renewal Application
Name________________________________Phone_________________
Address____________________________________________________
City____________________________State___________Zip__________
E-Mail____________________________Cell Phone_________________
Retired From_________________________(Fire, General, Police, School)
Cash or Paid By Check #________________ 1 YEAR ( ) 3 YEAR ( ) LIFETIME ( )
$10.00 $25.00 $150.00
APFMA Webmaster Lou Arcangeli 2008
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Coming soon:
- Pension Trustee Information: Recent letters from Fire, General and Police Pension Fund Retiree Trustees.
- APFMA By-Laws:
- List of members and expiration date of membership:
Three lists of members: Lifetime Members, Three Year Members, and Annual Members.
These lists allow members to see when it is time to renew their membership.
- APFMA Membership Application
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