Quantcast

Chicago City Wire

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Former EMT battalion chief Smandra paid in $255K to pension fund, could collect $5.37M in retirement

Shutterstock 443523112

Former EMT battalion chief Michael Smandra, who retired in November 2017, saved $254,638 toward a pension over 37 years working for fire departments, Firemen's Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Smandra would collect as much as $5.37 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes Chicago City Wire.

The projection assumes Smandra received $112,786 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 3 years of retirement, Smandra will have already received $348,611 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the state pension fund.

MORE NEWS