Are pension costs for current Town employees a big expense for Arlington?
No. Municipalities are responsible for contributing to their employees’ pensions – again, since they do not contribute to Social Security on their behalf. The expense is not unreasonable. Town employees pay about 10 percent of their salaries into their own pension funds. The Town’s contribution varies based on actuarial data and investment returns, but is typically much less than if these employees were in Social Security.
