Next Board Meeting:

Next Board Meeting (Annual Retreat):

The VCERA Office will be closed on Thursday, December 25 in observance of Christmas Day.

Holiday Closure

The VCERA Office will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 27 and 28, in observance of Thanksgiving.

The VCERA Office will be closed on Tuesday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day.

The VCERA Office will be closed on Monday, September 1 in observance of Labor Day.

The VCERA Office will be closed on Friday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day.

The VCERA Office will be closed on Thursday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth.

The VCERA Office will be closed on Monday, May 26 in observance of Memorial Day.

The VCERA Office will be closed on Monday, February 17 in observance of Presidents&#8217; Day.

The VCERA Office will be closed on Monday, January 20 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The VCERA Office will be closed on Wednesday, January 1 in observance of New Year&#8217;s Day.

The VCERA Office will be closed on Wednesday, December 25 in observance of Christmas Day.

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Get to know your pension plan and how it can provide you with a secure retirement.

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Retirement may still seem far off, but there are things you can plan for today.

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It is critical to let VCERA know when certain events in your life occur.

Life or Career Change

With your retirement date in sight, here are some important tips you should consider.

Nearing Retirement

Learn more about pension pay dates, COLAs, deductions and other retiree-specific topics.

Retirees & Beneficiaries

Retired

View the latest meeting agenda for the Board of Retirement.

Meeting Agendas & Minutes

Board Meetings

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Get Started — What you need to know

Check out the latest news, updates, &amp; reports from VCERA

VCERA’s annual benefit statements as of December 31, 2024, as well as information about the Alameda Decision, were mailed to all active VCERA members on March 28, 2025. If you have any questions about your statement or the <a href="https://content.vcera.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/VCERA-FACT-SHEET-ALAMEDA-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alameda Fact Sheet</a>, please contact VCERA at <a href="tel:8053394250">(805) 339-4250</a> or <a href="mailto:vcera.info@ventura.org">vcera.info@ventura.org</a>.



This year, unlike prior years, VCERA’s participating employers chose not to include Deferred Compensation information from Fidelity on VCERA’s annual benefit statement. Please contact the County of Ventura at <a href="mailto:Deferred.Compensation@ventura.org">Deferred.Compensation@ventura.org</a> for this information.



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Annual Benefit Statements Mailed

VCERA is pleased to open a recruitment for a Retirement Accounting Technician. This position will be responsible for complex bookkeeping, accounts payable, fiscal data evaluation and analysis, fiscal monitoring, summarizing financial transactions for annual reports, and other accounting functions for VCERA. To learn more about the job opening and to apply, click on the link below.



Payroll Title: Senior Accounting Technician Position Type: Full-Time Recruitment Period: 3/19/2025 – 4/2/2025 Salary Range: $61,850.10 – $86,590.15 Annually Job Posting: <a href="https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ventura/jobs/4849277/retirement-senior-accounting-technician-cc">https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ventura/jobs/4849277/retirement-senior-accounting-technician-cc</a>

Open Recruitment for Senior Accounting Technician

The 2025 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for eligible retirees, beneficiaries, and other payees with a retirement date of April 1, 2025 or earlier will be reflected in retirement benefit payments on April 30, 2025:



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<li>Safety retirees and General Tier 1* retirees: 3.0%</li>
</ul>



The COLA awarded to Safety retirees and General Tier 1 (Legacy) retirees is based on the year-over-year change (as of December) in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim region. If the CPI change, after being rounded to the nearest half percent, is more than the 3.0% COLA maximum, the excess will be “banked” and applied to a COLA in a future year when the annual CPI change is less than 3.0%. The regional CPI change from December 2023&nbsp;to December 2024&nbsp;was 3.5% after rounding. The Board of Retirement approved the 3.0% COLA at its meeting on February 24, 2025.



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>General Tier 2 and Tier 8*&nbsp;retirees (eligible SEIU and CNA service**): 2.0%</li>
</ul>



The COLA awarded to eligible General Tier 2 (Legacy) and Tier 8 (PEPRA) retirees represented by SEIU or CNA is 2.0%. This percentage is not subject to CPI changes. The 2.0% General Tier 2 and Tier 8 COLA increases are automatic under the terms of the Board of Retirement Regulation and applicable labor agreements, and require no additional Board approval. For SEIU retirees, this applies to any eligible service rendered on or after March 16, 2003 (for retirements on or after March 13, 2005). For CNA retirees, this applies to any eligible service rendered on or after June 25, 2023.



If you would like to learn more about VCERA’s annual COLAs, click <a href="https://www.vcera.org/members/retirees-beneficiaries/cost-of-living-adjustment">here</a> or <a href="https://www.vcera.org/contact-us">contact VCERA</a>.



*For more information about benefit tiers, click <a href="https://www.vcera.org/members/active-members/benefit-tiers">here</a>. **SEIU is the Service Employees International Union. CNA is the California Nurses Association.<a id="_msocom_1"></a>

2025 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA)

On January 5, 2025, former President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law, after it was passed by the Senate in December and House in November.



The legislation eliminates the <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10045.pdf">Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)</a> and Government Pension Offset (GPO.) It will stop the reduction of Social Security benefits for certain retirees who receive public pensions. Additionally, a provision that reduced social security benefits for surviving spouses and family of pensioners was also eliminated.



The Social Security Administration (SSA) will recalculate benefits for those affected by the WEP and GPO. Payments will be retroactive to December 2023.



This law does not impact or change any members’ VCERA retirement benefits. Only Social Security (SS) benefits are impacted, and only people who receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security may see changes to their SS benefits. While most VCERA members participate in Social Security and are therefore not affected by the new law, there are several bargaining groups, such as Law Enforcement and Fire Suppression (Safety members), that are not subject to Social Security. 



If you are an affected retiree, the SSA will contact you, or you can visit <a href="http://www.ssa.gov">www.ssa.gov</a> for more information.



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Social Security Fairness Act

VCERA is pleased to open a recruitment for a Retirement Benefits Manager. This position will assist the Chief Operations Officer (COO) in supervising professional-level specialized Retirement operations staff, including providing training to staff and ensuring departmental compliance with state, federal, and county regulations and policies. To learn more about the job opening and to apply, click on the link below.



Payroll Title:&nbsp;Retirement Benefits Manager II/III Position Type:&nbsp;Full-Time Regular Recruitment Period:&nbsp;2/18/2025 – 3/4/2025 Salary Range:&nbsp;$94,952.16 – $142,613.65 Annually Job Posting: <a href="https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ventura/jobs/4819992/retirement-benefits-manager-ii-iii">https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ventura/jobs/4819992/retirement-benefits-manager-ii-iii</a>

Open Recruitment for Retirement Benefits Manager

VCERA Staff are implementing the July 2020 California Supreme Court Decision, Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association v. Alameda County Employees’ Retirement Association (2020) 9 Cal.5th 1032, 1070, commonly referred to as “Alameda.” This implementation is being executed in accordance with the latest direction received from the Board of Retirement in Resolutions passed by the VCERA Board between October 2020 and April 2023.



VCERA staff has provided the Board of Retirement with Alameda implementation status updates at the monthly Board meetings. Highlights from the latest status reports include:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The VCERA Project for Alameda Corrections team includes several staff, plus coordination with the County of Ventura and many other consultants and system support services.</li>



<li>The project consists of two phases:<ul><li>Phase 1 – Calculate corrections to pensionable earnings &amp; member contributions</li></ul>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Phase 2 – Calculate corrections to retirement benefits &amp; process refunds with interest</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>VCERA is nearing the end of Phase 1, with work in Phase 2 projected to begin in 2025.</li>



<li>Currently, VCERA staff are working to clean up historical data, and test system enhancements for accuracy of the corrections.</li>



<li>The County has recently completed programming for certain calculations and the next step is for the project team to perform full testing of those changes.</li>



<li>Refunds and benefit recalculations are projected to begin in the second half of 2025. That process is projected to take a year or more to complete.</li>



<li>Affected members will receive individual communication prior to their corrections being processed.</li>
</ul>



VCERA will post additional updates about its Alameda Implementation as the multi-year project progresses. To receive email alerts when updates are posted to our website, please enter your information here: <a href="https://www.vcera.org/vcera-website-notifications">https://www.vcera.org/vcera-website-notifications</a>.

Alameda Implementation Status Update

Election results are in for the General Member and Alternate Safety Member seats on the VCERA Board of Retirement. On February 5, 2025, the Ventura County Elections Division issued certified results for the election held on February 3, 2025. The following are the winning candidates, who will be completing the remaining portion of the three-year terms for each seat.



For the General Member election, Jordan Roberts received the most votes out of the 708 cast among five candidates on the ballot. The term for this seat ends on December 31, 2027.



For the Alternate Safety Member seat, only one individual filed nomination documents. Therefore, per Government Code section 31523, an election was not held and the clerk cast a unanimous ballot in favor of the candidate, Ryan Resnick. The term for this seat ends on December 31, 2026.



VCERA congratulates these individuals on their appointments to the Board of Retirement. Below are the vote totals for each candidate:



General Member Election Candidate Name&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Votes Susan White Wood&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;81 Roy Morris&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;31 Derek Fouarge&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;156 Liza R. Rocha&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;203 Jordan Roberts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;231



Click below to view the Certifications of Election Results and the Official Statements of Votes Cast for each election:



<a href="https://content.vcera.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/25F-Certification-Letter-Signed.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Certification Letter</a> <a href="https://content.vcera.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/25F-General-Member-Cerification-Signed.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Certification of Election Results &#8211; General Member</a> <a href="https://content.vcera.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/25F-Results-Votes-Cast-General-Member-Signed.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Official Statement of Votes Cast</a> <a href="https://content.vcera.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Appointment-of-Alternate-Safety-Member-with-sig-and-Ann-Michelle-Corrections.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Appointment of Alternate Safety Member</a>



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2025 Board of Retirement Election Results

Form 1099-Rs reporting the 2024 retirement earnings of retirees and other VCERA payees were mailed on January 28, 2025. The 1099-Rs are also available in <a href="https://members.vcera.org/v3prod/app?service=external/MemberPages:MemberLogin">Member Portal</a> accounts. Members are encouraged to consult a qualified tax preparer with questions about their 2024 taxable income.



For more information, click <a href="https://content.vcera.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2024_How-to-Read-your-1099-R-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> for an explanation of how to read your 1099-R. For information regarding income tax, click <a href="https://www.vcera.org/income-tax">here</a>.

2024 Form 1099-Rs Mailed

VCERA is pleased to open a recruitment for a Retirement Accountant. This position will be responsible for fiscal monitoring, accounting control, budget compilation and projection, financial statement development, and other accounting functions for VCERA. To learn more about the job opening and to apply, click on the link below.







Payroll Title: Accountant II/Senior Position Type: Full-Time Recruitment Period: 12/5/24-12/27/24 Salary Range: $71,132.40 &#8211; $109,543.91 Annually Job Posting: <a href="https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ventura/jobs/4715387/retirement-accountant-ii-mb-senior-accountant-mb[AA1]" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ventura/jobs/4715387/retirement-accountant-ii-mb-senior-accountant-mb</a>



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Open Recruitment for Accountant II/Senior

An election for a General Member Representative and a special election for an Alternate Safety Member Representative on the VCERA Board of Retirement will be held on February 3, 2025.



Any active General member is eligible to run for the General Member Representative office. The elected member will serve a 3-year term from January 1, 2025 until December 31, 2027.



Only Safety members in the Fire Suppression group, including Airport Operations Officers and Harbor Patrol Officers, are eligible for the Alternate Safety Member office. The elected member will serve from the date of certification of election results until December 31, 2026.



Nomination documents can be obtained by appointment starting on December 2, 2024, in the County Elections Office or by emailing <a href="mailto:campaign.finance@ventura.org">campaign.finance@ventura.org</a>. To make an appointment, visit <a href="http://www.venturavote.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.venturavote.org</a>. Completed nomination packets must be returned to the Elections Office by December 9, 2024, at 5 p.m.



Serving on the VCERA Board of Retirement offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of retirement security for thousands of dedicated public employees in Ventura County. As a Board member, you will play an important role in reviewing VCERA’s investments, policies, and long-term sustainability, helping to provide essential lifetime benefits to those who have served our community.



View the <a href="https://content.vcera.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/General-Member-Election-Notice-2024-v1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">General Member Election Notice</a> and <a href="https://content.vcera.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Gen.-Member-Election-Calendar-2024-Final-v3-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Calendar</a>, or the <a href="https://content.vcera.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Special-Election-for-Alt.-Safety-member-Notice-2024-v1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alternate Safety Member Special Election Notice</a> and <a href="https://content.vcera.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Alt.-Safety-Member-Election-Calendar-2024-Final-v3-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Calendar</a>, which provide information on the election process, timeline, and how to become a candidate, or <a href="https://www.vcera.org/contact-us">contact us</a> with questions.



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Notice of Election for General Member and Special Election for Alternate Safety Member on Board

Updates & Alerts

Life is full of excitement, twists, and turns. Click on any of the common milestones listed here for insights and guidance on how they might affect your plan.

Get Started — What you need to know

Get Started

New to VCERA

Mid-Career

Life or Career Change

Nearing Retirement

Retired

Board Meetings

Updates & Alerts

Updates & Alerts

News •March 28, 2025

Annual Benefit Statements Mailed

News •March 20, 2025

Open Recruitment for Senior Accounting Technician

News •March 18, 2025

2025 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA)

Planning & Guidance

Thinking About Retirement