Rounds v. Hall Cnty., A22A1584, 2023 WL 2471300 (Ga. Ct. App. Mar. 13, 2023). This case involved a defined benefit plan of the County.
Here’s the court’s summary:
This is a putative class action lawsuit against Hall County, its Board of Commissioners, and the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (collectively, “Defendants”), alleging that the pension rights of certain Hall County employees (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) were violated when the County froze the accrual of employee benefits under its defined benefit plan (“DBP”), effective July 1, 1998, without giving prior notice to the employees and without holding a hearing for the purpose of discussing this benefit accrual freeze. The dispositive issue in this case is whether the County was obligated to provide such notice and hearing before instituting the freeze. For the reasons discussed below, we hold that there was no such obligation and that summary judgment was properly granted in favor of the Defendants.