Sangamon Sun

Without members and taxpayers subsidizing its revenue, the Springfield Firefighter's Pension Fund would have lost $3,525,011 in 2018, according to a Sangamon Sun analysis of the latest data reported to the Illinois Department of Insurance Pension Division.

The fund has $133,955,610 in total assets. If the fund’s annual losses stay the same, it would run out of money in 39 years without these subsidies.

The fund earned $11,568,714 in investment income and other revenue in 2018. At the same time, it paid out $15,093,725 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 $11,184,141 to the fund’s revenue last year – an amount that has increased from $9,599,575 five years ago. Members contributed an additional $1,696,447 – $67,477 more than five years ago.

In all, subsidies amounted to $12,880,588 in 2018.

Year	Total non-subsidy revenue	Total expenses	Outcome without subsidies
2018	$11,568,714	$15,093,725	-$3,525,011
2017	$14,904,620	$14,714,850	$189,770
2016	-$5,946,399	$13,780,319	-$19,726,718
2015	$7,144,920	$13,056,069	-$5,911,149
2014	$12,077,281	$12,455,777	-$378,496