§ 5. Continuity of Service; Continuity of Benefits; Reinstatement.

(1)

Any member of the Police Department of the City of Orlando who was otherwise entitled to participate in the retirement plan created by Laws of Fla. ch. 22414(1943), shall be permitted to establish continuity of service and continuity of benefits by making the required regular contributions into the fund while such member of the Police Department is absent from duty because of the acceptance of an appointment as Director of Public Safety for the City of Orlando, or while absent from duty under leave of absence because of illness, injury, or any other approved leave of absence.

(2)

Any member of the Police Department of the City of Orlando who was otherwise entitled to participate in the retirement plan created by Laws of Fla. ch. 22414(1943), as amended, shall for pension purposes be permitted to establish continuity of service and continuity of benefits by combining or tacking prior pension fund participation in the event of transfer from the Fire Department to the Police Department; provided, however, that such member must have completed at least 10 years' participation in the police pension fund immediately prior to retirement in order to establish such continuity.

(3)

In the event a member of the Orlando Police Department severs his employment with said department, but is subsequently rehired, said member shall be reinstated in the pension program and accorded all provided rights therein; and shall receive credit for those years or fractional parts of years of service for the prior service with said department, provided said member repays into the pension fund that sum of money which said member was refunded at the time he severed employment with said department in addition to simple interest on that sum of money due for the period of the absence. An appropriate simple interest rate shall be determined by the Orlando Police Pension Board based on the investment earnings of the pension fund. The member shall have at least 90 days after his or her re-employment to make repayment. A police officer may voluntarily leave his or her contributions in the pension fund for a period of 5 years after leaving the employ of the police department, pending the possibility of being rehired by the same department, without losing credit for the time he or she has participated actively as a police officer. If the police officer is not reemployed as a police officer, with the same department within 5 years, his or her contributions shall be returned without interest.

(Laws of Fla. ch. 88-517, § 24; Laws of Fla. ch. 88-541, § 1; Laws of Fla. ch. 95-482, § 5; Ord. of 6-24-2002, § 2, Doc. #020624704; Ord. No. 2017-22, § 1, 4-24-2017, Doc. #1704241202)