Author: Anikka Abbott

VCERA is pleased to open a recruitment for two Benefits Specialist Trainees. This fixed term position will perform as an entry level benefits specialist, reviewing and processing member documentation, estimate and benefit calculations, and service credit purchases, and assisting in completing work on the Alameda Project. To learn more about the job opening and to apply, click on the link below.

Payroll Title: Retirement Benefits Specialist Trainee (Technical Specialist IV-MB)
Position Type: Fixed Term
Recruitment Period: 9/10/2025 – 9/23/2025
Salary Range: $60,797.95 – $85,125.49 Annually
Job Posting: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ventura/jobs/5066653/retirement-benefits-specialist-trainee-fixed-term

At the Board of Retirement meeting held on July 28, 2025, the Board voted to approve amendments to the Disability Retirement Process and Disability Retirement Hearing Rules. The most significant changes included:

• Adding an Introduction section to the Disability Retirement Hearing Rules that provides historical background of the New Model process changes and helps explain references to the 1999 Disability Hearing Procedures (DHPs)
• Removing terminology of “Old Model” vs. “New Model” from both documents
• Adding policy review and history information to both documents
• Adding clarification to Step #10 in the Disability Retirement Process, including the addition of language to explain that the fast-track process is only available if there is no dispute in evidence regarding service connection in service-connected disability retirement applications, and removing language describing employer removal requests during the 21 days that was duplicative of Steps 19 to 22
• Modifying Step #19 in the Disability Retirement Process by extending the period allotted for employer and applicant review of the preliminary recommendation from 21 calendar days to 21 business days, with the opportunity to request an extension to 30 business days with good cause (to which any parties may submit objection within 2 business days)
• Adding clarification to existing rules in the Disability Retirement Hearing Rules regarding the Hearing Officer’s jurisdiction, including:
  • the adjustment of language in Rule #5 that an extended hearing commencement deadline would be per Rule #4 (and anything beyond that would end the Hearing Officer’s jurisdiction),
  • the addition of language in Rule #8 to expressly include post-hearing and remand disputes, and
  • the addition of language in Rule #17 to not include jurisdictional limits set in Rules #4 and #5 (number of days by which a hearing must commence) within the intervals that the Hearing Officer may shorten or lengthen
• Adding new Rule #18 to the Disability Retirement Hearing Rules to clarify the procedures (that VCERA already follows by law) regarding release of psychiatric and/or psychological records

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View the final updated documents and all information related to VCERA’s disability retirement policies and procedures on our Disability Retirement webpage.

VCERA has a new “New Employee Orientation” video! While the video is intended to give new members an overview of their VCERA benefits, it’s also a useful refresher for members at any step of their career journey. The video includes information on benefit tiers, service credit purchases, reciprocity, retirement eligibility, and more.

You can find the new video on our New Employee Orientation webpage.

VCERA is funded by member (employee) contributions, employer contributions, and investment earnings. Together, these funding sources enable VCERA to offer its members retirement benefits that last a lifetime.

Employee and employer retirement contribution rates are adjusted annually based on recommendations from VCERA’s Actuarial Valuation by Segal. We have updated our website to reflect the new retirement contribution rates for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025. Please find the updated rates on our Contribution Rates webpage.

You can find more information about contributions on our website.

VCERA is pleased to open a recruitment for a Disability Retirement Benefits Manager. This position will manage the daily direction of specialized Disability Retirement operations staff, oversee the administration of disability retirement cases in accordance with applicable retirement laws and medical review standards, and collaborate with medical professionals, legal counsel, and leadership to ensure compliant and timely case processing. To learn more about the job opening and to apply, click on the link below.

Payroll Title: Staff/Services Manager II/III
Position Type: Full-Time
Recruitment Period: 7/9/2025 – 7/24/2025
Salary Range: $94,952.16 – $142,613.65 Annually
Job Posting: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ventura/jobs/4997121/disability-retirement-benefits-manager

VCERA is pleased to open a recruitment for an Office Assistant. This position will be responsible for an array of clerical duties for VCERA, including customer service, document processing, record management, scheduling, and general office logistics. To learn more about the job opening and to apply, click on the link below.

Payroll Title: Office Assistant III-Confidential
Position Type: Full-Time
Recruitment Period: 7/3/2025 – 7/10/2025
Salary Range: $51,410.05 – $71,981.14 Annually
Job Posting: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ventura/jobs/4966589/office-assistant-iii-confidential

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 Alameda Fact Sheet, please contact VCERA at (805) 339-4250 or vcera.info@ventura.org.

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 Deferred.Compensation@ventura.org for this information.

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: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ventura/jobs/4849277/retirement-senior-accounting-technician-cc

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:

• Safety retirees and General Tier 1* retirees: 3.0%

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 to December 2024 was 3.5% after rounding. The Board of Retirement approved the 3.0% COLA at its meeting on February 24, 2025.

• General Tier 2 and Tier 8* retirees (eligible SEIU and CNA service**): 2.0%

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 here or contact VCERA.

*For more information about benefit tiers, click here.
**SEIU is the Service Employees International Union. CNA is the California Nurses Association.