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West Cook News

Sunday, July 13, 2025

Analysis: River Forest Firefighters Pension Fund would go bankrupt in 16 years without taxpayer subsidy

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Without members and taxpayers subsidizing its revenue, the River Forest Firefighters Pension Fund would have lost $987,447 in 2018, according to a West Cook News analysis of the latest data reported to the Illinois Department of Insurance Pension Division.

The fund has $15,051,998 in total assets. If the fund’s annual losses stay the same, it would run out of money in 16 years without these subsidies.

The fund earned $927,222 in investment income and other revenue in 2018. At the same time, it paid out $1,914,669 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 $1,133,899 to the fund’s revenue last year – an amount that has increased from $660,354 five years ago. Members contributed an additional $177,633 – $10,386 less than five years ago.

In all, subsidies amounted to $1,311,532 in 2018.

River Forest Firefighters Pension Fund non-subsidy revenue over five years
YearTotal non-subsidy revenueTotal expensesOutcome without subsidies
2018$927,222$1,914,669-$987,447
2017$965,582$1,647,923-$682,341
2016-$849,823$1,428,761-$2,278,584
2015$595,896$1,369,484-$773,588
2014$1,448,337$1,240,378$207,959

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