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Cabarrus County, North Carolina Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended June 30, 2010 Annual OPEB Cost and Net Pension Obligation. The County's annual OPEB cost (expense) is calculated based on the annual required contribution of the employer (ARC), an amount actuarially determined in accordance with the parameters of GASB Statement 45. The ARC represents a level of funding that, if paid on an ongoing basis is projected to cover normal cost each year and amortize any unfunded actuarial liabilities (or funding excess) over a period not to exceed thirty years. The following table shows the components of the County's annual OPEB cost for the year, the amount actually contributed to the plan, and changes in the County's net OPEB obligation for the healthcare benefits: 2010 Annual Required Contribution $ 2,513,177 Interest on Net OPEB Obligation 116,804 Adjustment to annual required contribution (100,772) Annual OPEB cost (expense) 2,529,209 Contributions made (676,712) Increase (decrease) in net OPEB obligation 1,852,497 Net OPEB obligation, beginning of year 2,912,737 Net OPEB obligation, end of year The County's annual OPEB cost, the percentage of annual OPEB cost contributed to the plan, and the net OPEB obligation were as follows: For Year Ended Annual Percentage of Annual Net OPEB June 30 OPEB Cost OPEB Cost Contributed Obli gation 2008 $1,850,169 28% $1,341,176 2009 $2,156,844 27% $2,912,737 2010 $2,529,209 27% $4,765,234 Funded Status and Funding Progress. As of December 31, 2008 the most recent actuarial valuation date, the plan was not funded. The actuarial accrued liability for benefits and, thus the unfunded actuarial accrued liability (UAAL) was $25;198,592. The covered payroll (annual payroll of active employees covered by the plan) was $31,224,203 and the ratio of the UAAL to the covered payroll was 80.7 %. Actuarial valuations of an ongoing plan involve estimates of the value of reported amounts and assumptions about the probability of occurrence of events far into the future. Examples include assumptions about future employment, mortality and healthcare trends. Amounts determined regarding the funded status of the plan and the annual required contributions of the employer are subject to continual revision as actual results are compared with past expectations and new estimates are made about the future. The schedule of funding progress, presented as required supplementary information following the notes to the financial statements, presents multiyear trend information about whether the actuarial value of plan assets is increasing or decreasing over time relative to the actuarial accrued liabilities for benefits. Actuarial Methods and Assumptions. Projections of benefits for financial reporting purposes are used on the substantive plan (the plan as understood by the employer and the plan members) and include the types of benefits provided at the time of each valuation and the historical pattern of sharing of benefit costs between the employer and plan members at this point. The actuarial methods and assumptions used include techniques that are designed to reduce the effects of short term volatility in actuarial accrued liabilities and the actuarial value assets, consistent with the long term perspective of the calculations. In the December 31, 2008 actuarial valuation, the projected unit credit actuarial cost method was used. The actuarial assumptions included a 4.00% investment rate of return (net of administrative expenses), which is the expected long -term investment return on the employer's own investments calculated based on the funded level of the plan at the valuation date, and an annual medical cost trend increase of 10.50 to 5.00 percent annually. Both rates included a 3.75 percent inflation assumption. The actuarial value of assets, if any, was determined using techniques that spread the effects of short term volatility in the market value of investments over a five year period. 67 G -2 Page 555