The Melrose Park Firefighters Pension Fund was identified as 44th among Illinois’ most underfunded police and fire pension plans in 2024, based on data from the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI).
The fund operates within Illinois’ City pension system structure and reported total liabilities of $103,986,729 with actuarial assets at $42,748,481.
This equates to a funding ratio of 41.1%, indicating that the fund was missing 58.9% of the assets it needs to pay promised retirement benefits.
The resulting gap between assets and obligations left the pension with an unfunded liability close to $61,238,248.
The Illinois Department of Insurance compiles and publishes data for local police and fire pensions, which are financially supported by local residents.
As of 2024, Illinois maintained 300 fire and 363 police pension funds. Certain municipalities fund both plans, while others cover just one.There are municipalities without unfunded pension debt; in 2024, 64 municipalities reported no police or fire pension liabilities and were left off the rankings.
Police and fire pension obligations—commonly called “pension benefits”— serve as deferred compensation. Officials commit to retirement benefits for public safety workers but sometimes commit without receiving adequate financial contributions from workers or taxpayers. Such funding shortfalls result in increased pension debt, shifting the cost to future generations. Local governments rely primarily on property taxes for annual contributions, according to IDOI-collected data.
Across Illinois in 2024, police and fire retirement funds averaged a 65.1% funding ratio, highlighting pervasive shortfalls in local public safety pension systems.
The lowest-funded pension system in the state was Glencoe Firefighters Pension Fund, at a 0.9% funding ratio.
Savoy Firefighters Pension Fund had the highest ratio, at 797.7%, with $149,803 in actuarial assets far surpassing its pension obligations.
The total state pension debt in Illinois climbed by $1.5 billion in 2024, tallying $143.7 billion, according to a Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability report. This represents the third straight annual rise, drawing the debt just under its 20-year peak of $144.2 billion seen in 2020.
The State Department of Insurance Public Pension Division reported that in 2024, suburban and downstate pension systems held $12.1 billion in unfunded actuarial liabilities, producing a combined funding ratio of 49.18%. That means more than half the assets required for benefits were lacking.
In 2024, Illinois had the largest proportion of its GDP tied to unfunded pension debts, approaching 20%, as found in an Equable Institute study.
The Illinois Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research group, states that this has put heavier costs on taxpayers. The institute noted taxpayer contributions toward state pensions increased from $614 million in fiscal 1996 to $11.2 billion in fiscal 2025.
| Rank | Pension Fund | City | Fund Type | Funding % | Unfunded Liability | Total Liabilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glencoe Firefighters Pension Fund | Glencoe | Village or Township | 0.9% | $178,203 | $179,832 |
| 2 | South Chicago Heights Firefighters Pension Fund | South Chicago Heights | Village or Township | 2.8% | $491,701 | $505,700 |
| 3 | Bethany Firefighters Pension Fund | Bethany | Village or Township | 3.9% | $250,130 | $260,252 |
| 4 | Posen Firefighters Pension Fund | Posen | Village or Township | 6.8% | $1,013,154 | $1,086,589 |
| 5 | Nunda Rural FPD Firefighters Pension Fund | Crystal Lake | Fire Protection District | 8% | $155,069 | $168,587 |
| 6 | East St. Louis Firefighters Pension Fund | East St. Louis | City | 9.5% | $60,376,247 | $66,732,525 |
| 7 | Cairo Firefighters Pension Fund | Cairo | City | 10.9% | $4,757,521 | $5,338,526 |
| 8 | Riverdale Police Pension Fund | Riverdale | Village or Township | 14.9% | $45,058,163 | $52,928,748 |
| 9 | Washington Park Police Pension Fund | Caseyville | Village or Township | 17.3% | $2,295,422 | $2,775,919 |
| 10 | Lynwood Police Pension Fund | Lynwood | Village or Township | 17.5% | $13,417,550 | $16,254,380 |
| 11 | Stone Park Police Pension Fund | Stone Park | City | 21.4% | $17,485,225 | $22,232,105 |
| 12 | Harvey Firefighters Pension Fund | Harvey | City | 22% | $43,143,298 | $55,313,475 |
| 13 | Cairo Police Pension Fund | Cairo | Village or Township | 23.8% | $3,594,155 | $4,716,195 |
| 14 | Lincoln Firefighters Pension Fund | Lincoln | City | 24.3% | $17,964,106 | $23,728,200 |
| 15 | Burnham Police Pension Fund | Burnham | Village or Township | 25.8% | $7,033,692 | $9,481,825 |
| 16 | East Alton Police Pension Fund | East Alton | Village or Township | 29% | $7,752,199 | $10,913,295 |
| 16 | Danville Firefighters Pension Fund | Danville | City | 29% | $56,012,714 | $78,905,481 |
| 18 | North Chicago Police Pension Fund | North Chicago | City | 29.2% | $48,425,528 | $68,354,735 |
| 19 | Lyons Police Pension Fund | Lyons | Village or Township | 30.6% | $23,697,686 | $34,165,503 |
| 20 | Braidwood FPD Firefighters Pension Fund | Braidwood | Fire Protection District | 32% | $316,114 | $464,595 |
| 21 | Summit Police Pension Fund | Summit | City | 32.6% | $29,528,504 | $43,781,677 |
| 22 | Evergreen Park Firefighters Pension Fund | Evergreen Park | Village or Township | 32.7% | $2,456,722 | $3,650,796 |
| 23 | Blue Island Firefighters Pension Fund | Blue Island | City | 33.1% | $18,491,894 | $27,630,414 |
| 24 | Sauk Village Police Pension Fund | Sauk Village | Village or Township | 34.9% | $12,186,385 | $18,729,752 |
| 25 | Rock Island Firefighters Pension Fund | Rock Island | City | 35% | $57,571,195 | $88,569,214 |
| 26 | Wood Dale FPD Firefighters Pension Fund | Wood Dale | City | 35.1% | $32,350,412 | $49,829,895 |
| 27 | East Alton Firefighters Pension Fund | East Alton | Village or Township | 35.5% | $4,448,576 | $6,899,172 |
| 28 | Island Lake Police Pension Fund | Island Lake | Village or Township | 36.8% | $6,468,832 | $10,231,984 |
| 29 | Danville Police Pension Fund | Danville | City | 36.9% | $50,909,230 | $80,729,515 |
| 30 | Madison Police Pension Fund | Madison | City | 37.1% | $7,796,590 | $12,403,202 |
| 31 | Lincoln Police Pension Fund | Lincoln | City | 37.3% | $18,839,226 | $30,062,677 |
| 32 | Fairfield Police Pension Fund | Fairfield | City | 38% | $5,894,772 | $9,500,767 |
| 33 | Lansing Police Pension Fund | Lansing | Village or Township | 38.8% | $69,901,857 | $114,240,820 |
| 34 | Roberts Park FPD Firefighters Pension Fund | Justice | Fire Protection District | 39% | $17,530,740 | $28,746,543 |
| 35 | Forest Park Firefighters Pension Fund | Forest Park | Village or Township | 39.2% | $27,473,776 | $45,186,356 |
| 36 | Chicago Heights Firefighters Pension Fund | Chicago Heights | City | 39.3% | $62,391,745 | $102,720,418 |
| 37 | Rock Island Police Pension Fund | Rock Island | City | 39.7% | $73,031,157 | $121,052,017 |
| 37 | Orland Hills Police Pension Fund | Orland Hills | Village or Township | 39.7% | $6,319,400 | $10,478,984 |
| 39 | Worth Police Pension Fund | Worth | Village or Township | 39.8% | $21,860,053 | $36,333,997 |
| 39 | Blue Island Police Pension Fund | Blue Island | City | 39.8% | $32,059,062 | $53,267,960 |
| 41 | North Chicago Firefighters Pension Fund | North Chicago | City | 40.4% | $20,483,690 | $34,370,261 |
| 42 | Cicero Firefighters’ Pension Fund | Cicero | Village or Township | 40.8% | $79,226,461 | $133,790,594 |
| 43 | Forest Park Police Pension Fund | Forest Park | Village or Township | 41% | $37,697,488 | $63,937,177 |
| 44 | Melrose Park Firefighters Pension Fund | Melrose Park | City | 41.1% | $61,238,248 | $103,986,729 |
| 45 | Kewanee Firefighters Pension Fund | Kewanee | Fire Protection District | 41.3% | $11,229,196 | $19,115,798 |
| 46 | North Riverside Firefighters Pension Fund | North Riverside | Village or Township | 42.2% | $18,334,006 | $31,699,557 |
| 47 | Willow Springs Police Pension Fund | Willow Springs | City | 42.3% | $7,186,960 | $12,450,998 |
| 48 | East St. Louis Police Pension Fund | East St. Louis | City | 42.8% | $31,710,417 | $55,399,611 |
| 49 | Mattoon Firefighters Pension Fund | Mattoon | City | 43.3% | $28,949,965 | $51,067,176 |
| 50 | Streator Firefighters Pension Fund | Streator | City | 43.7% | $9,841,102 | $17,489,034 |
| 51 | Pekin Firefighters Pension Fund | Pekin | City | 44.2% | $44,972,438 | $80,603,425 |
| 52 | Antioch Police Pension Fund | Antioch | Village or Township | 44.3% | $22,507,263 | $40,430,804 |
| 53 | Murphysboro Police Pension Fund | Murphysboro | City | 44.8% | $7,400,477 | $13,406,403 |
| 54 | Rockford Firefighters Pension Fund | Rockford | City | 45% | $243,720,485 | $442,821,841 |
| 55 | West Frankfort Police Pension Fund | West Frankfort | City | 45.1% | $8,460,333 | $15,416,610 |
| 56 | Cahokia Heights Police Pension Fund | Centreville | City | 45.3% | $19,664,032 | $35,981,323 |
| 57 | Hillside Police Pension Fund | Hillside | Village or Township | 45.9% | $28,601,329 | $52,865,931 |
| 58 | Oakbrook Terrace Fire Protection District Pension Fund | Oakbrook Terrace | City | 46% | $2,639,694 | $4,889,901 |
| 58 | Melrose Park Police Pension Fund | Melrose Park | Village or Township | 46% | $56,186,523 | $104,105,647 |
| 58 | Charleston Police Pension Fund | Charleston | City | 46% | $22,275,326 | $41,224,924 |
| 61 | Dekalb Firefighters Pension Fund | De Kalb | City | 46.1% | $52,987,441 | $98,225,613 |
| 62 | Oak Lawn Police Pension Fund | Oak Lawn | City | 46.3% | $117,769,104 | $219,171,942 |
| 62 | Stickney Police Pension Fund | Stickney | Village or Township | 46.3% | $11,415,170 | $21,246,665 |
| 64 | Canton Firefighters Pension Fund | Canton | City | 46.4% | $11,552,418 | $21,564,491 |
| 65 | North Riverside Police Pension Fund | North Riverside | Village or Township | 46.6% | $26,723,002 | $50,002,140 |
| 65 | Riverside Police Pension Fund | Riverside | City | 46.6% | $17,923,424 | $33,563,776 |
| 67 | Manhattan Police Pension Fund | Manhattan | Village or Township | 46.7% | $5,224,436 | $9,810,452 |
| 68 | Hillside Firefighters Pension Fund | Hillside | Village or Township | 47% | $19,279,606 | $36,391,365 |
| 68 | Lasalle Police Pension Fund | La Salle | Village or Township | 47% | $14,445,385 | $27,269,276 |
| 68 | River Grove Police Pension Fund | River Grove | Village or Township | 47% | $18,393,924 | $34,717,954 |
| 71 | Franklin Park Police Pension Fund | Franklin Park | Village or Township | 47.3% | $42,337,489 | $80,377,132 |
| 72 | Mattoon Police Pension Fund | Mattoon | City | 47.4% | $29,226,396 | $55,546,726 |
| 73 | West Frankfort Firefighters Pension Fund | West Frankfort | City | 47.6% | $5,931,509 | $11,320,574 |
| 74 | Park Forest Police Pension Fund | Park Forest | Village or Township | 47.7% | $33,109,771 | $63,259,495 |
| 75 | Jerseyville Police Pension Fund | Jerseyville | Village or Township | 47.8% | $8,021,268 | $15,361,077 |
| 76 | Marengo Police Pension Fund | Marengo | City | 47.9% | $8,865,811 | $17,022,277 |
| 76 | Maywood Police Pension Fund | Maywood | Village or Township | 47.9% | $40,650,996 | $78,048,329 |
| 78 | Charleston Firefighters Pension Fund | Charleston | City | 48.1% | $21,070,752 | $40,612,567 |
| 78 | Ottawa Firefighters Pension Fund | Ottawa | City | 48.1% | $21,080,148 | $40,601,081 |
| 78 | Matteson Firefighters Pension Fund | Matteson | Village or Township | 48.1% | $28,336,901 | $54,641,705 |
| 81 | Olympia Fields Police Pension Fund | Olympia Fields | Village or Township | 48.3% | $15,064,305 | $29,129,269 |
| 81 | Wayne Police Pension Fund | Wayne | Village or Township | 48.3% | $2,483,666 | $4,803,696 |
| 83 | Chicago Heights Police Pension Fund | Chicago Heights | Village or Township | 48.5% | $66,721,222 | $129,652,992 |
| 84 | Itasca Police Pension Fund | Itasca | Village or Township | 48.8% | $22,478,727 | $43,875,854 |
| 84 | Schiller Park Police Pension Fund | Schiller Park | Village or Township | 48.8% | $27,674,551 | $54,075,306 |
| 86 | Rockford Police Pension Fund | Rockford | City | 49.7% | $243,290,612 | $484,039,160 |
| 87 | Bridgeview Firefighters Pension Fund | Bridgeview | Village or Township | 49.8% | $31,729,816 | $63,208,657 |
| 88 | Carmi Police Pension Fund | Carmi | City | 49.9% | $5,017,333 | $10,004,863 |
| 89 | Savanna Firefighters Pension Fund | Savanna | City | 50% | $1,352,246 | $2,703,812 |
| 90 | Des Plaines Police Pension Fund | Des Plaines | Village or Township | 50.2% | $98,091,406 | $196,967,826 |
| 91 | South Chicago Heights Police Pension Fund | South Chicago Heights | City | 50.4% | $3,962,996 | $7,982,608 |
| 91 | Centralia Police Pension Fund | Centralia | City | 50.4% | $14,338,909 | $28,938,213 |
| 91 | Harrisburg Police Pension Fund | Harrisburg | City | 50.4% | $7,035,937 | $14,185,669 |
| 94 | Niles Police Pension Fund | Niles | City | 50.5% | $51,077,927 | $103,200,536 |
| 94 | Barrington Police Pension Fund | Barrington | Village or Township | 50.5% | $26,351,154 | $53,218,265 |
| 94 | Pontoon Beach Police Pension Fund | Pontoon Beach | Village or Township | 50.5% | $7,579,533 | $15,319,113 |
| 97 | Flossmoor Firefighters Pension Fund | Flossmoor | Village or Township | 50.6% | $3,521,600 | $7,132,460 |
| 98 | Caseyville Police Pension Fund | Caseyville | Village or Township | 50.7% | $3,440,097 | $6,979,835 |
| 98 | Zion Police Pension Fund | Zion | City | 50.7% | $37,726,460 | $76,487,262 |
| 100 | Springfield Firefighter’s Pension Fund | Springfield | Village or Township | 50.8% | $173,150,294 | $352,156,867 |
Information for this article was sourced from the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI). Access the source data here.
