Highlights

OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR 2023 ENDS OCTOBER 31

SPECIAL ELECTION FOR GENERAL 3RD MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF RETIREMENT

RESULTS: SAFETY ELECTION FOR THE BOARD OF RETIREMENT

OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR 2023 ENDS OCTOBER 31

The County will continue the same insurance plans with the same benefits, including Domestic Medical Travel Benefits. Blue Shield, Kaiser, United Health Care, Vision, and Dental Plan Rates are increasing this year. Plan rates are available to view online at: www.sbcers.org/open-enrollment-2023.

What to do if you have NO CHANGES to your coverage?

• You do not have to complete or submit any forms. SBCERS will automatically continue your current coverage into 2023 at the new rates.

What to do if you are MAKING CHANGES to your coverage?

• Review plan benefits, providers and rates.
• Obtain and complete forms.
• Sign and submit forms by TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2022.

What to do if you don't have County/Court Health Insurance?

• Instead, you have money in your SBCERS Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) account. SBCERS will automatically continue your current HRA account into 2023.You do not have to contact SBCERS to set anything up, you contact WageWorks at 877-924-3967 or www.wageworks.com to seek reimbursement for eligible health expenses you pay out of your own pocket.
• You may opt back in to County/Court Health Insurance by completing and remitting forms by TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2022.

SBCERS Virtual Health Fair is available to view on our website at: https://www.sbcers.org/retired-members/health-insurance-open-enrollment-for-2023/2023-open-enrollment/.

SPECIAL ELECTION FOR GENERAL 3RD MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF RETIREMENT

An election will be held from Wednesday, November 30, 2022 to Monday, January 2, 2023, to select an active General Member to fill the vacancy of the 3rd General Member of the Board of Retirement of Santa Barbara County Employees’ Retirement System (SBCERS). The successful candidate will serve the remaining term of the 3rd General Member beginning from January 25, 2023 to December 31, 2023.

Who can run for a seat on the Board of Retirement?

• General member candidates must be an active General member of SBCERS and may not be a Safety or Retired member. 
• There are no restrictions or requirements to run in a Board of Retirement election, other than membership and gathering a required amount of signatures from your same membership base (signatures are gathered in the “Nomination Petition Packet & Candidate Filing Guide” available at www.sbcers.org/board-elections). 
• While there are no education requirements to be elected or appointed to the Board, all Members on the Board of Retirement are required to complete 24 hours of education in any 2-year period. SBCERS staff provide educational opportunities at some Board of Retirement meetings and extensive offsite training is also provided. 

How does an eligible member run in an election?

• All candidates must submit a Petition of Nomination and Declaration of Candidacy. Petitions are available online at www.sbcers.org/board-elections/.
• The petition shall include the nominee’s name, certification of willingness to serve and the nomination by at least 15 but not more than 25 members of the nominee’s membership classification on a nominating petition. Nominations may be submitted with wet or electronic signatures of nominating members. 
• Nomination petitions and ballot statements must be submitted to any SBCERS office no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 31, 2022.

For questions regarding Board of Retirement Elections, please contact Dani Couture, Clerk of the Board of Retirement, by emailing dcouture@sbcers.org or calling 805-770-1135.

RESULTS: SAFETY ELECTION FOR THE BOARD OF RETIREMENT

Three nominating petitions were received for the Safety Seventh Member position. SBCERS staff certified all candidates’ petitions in accordance with the Trustee Elections Policy adopted by the SBCERS Board of Retirement.

MK Elections Services conducted a hybrid election for the Safety Seventh and Alternate Safety Members by electronic and mail-in voting from September 14, 2022 through October 12, 2022. Votes were tallied by MK Elections Services on October 13, 2022.

Paul Uhl, the candidate with the highest number of votes, was elected Safety Member. Frederick Tan, the runner-up candidate in a different Safety category, was elected the Alternate Safety Member.