Highlights

SPECIAL ELECTION FOR GENERAL MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF RETIREMENT: CANDIDATE STATEMENTS AVAILABLE

SBCERS HOLIDAY OFFICE CLOSURE

BOOK A VIRTUAL SBCERS APPOINTMENT ONLINE

Also in this edition...

2021 COLA Tracker
October 27, 2021 Board of Retirement Meeting Highlights
November 17, 2021 Board of Retirement Meeting Agenda
CareCounsel Information
RESBC Membership Information

SPECIAL ELECTION FOR GENERAL MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF RETIREMENT: CANDIDATE STATEMENTS AVAILABLE

On October 1, 2021, a General Trustee position on the Board of Retirement of the Santa Barbara County Employees’ Retirement System became vacant. In accordance with the Board of Retirement elections policy, a special election will be held Wednesday, December 8, 2021 – Monday, January 10, 2022 to select a General Member to fill the vacancy of the 2nd Member of the Board of Retirement.

Candidate statements are available for public review until Friday, November 19, 2021 at www.sbcers.org/board-elections/. During this period, any member qualified to vote for the candidate may seek an injunction requiring any or all of the material to be amended or deleted if it is false, misleading, or inconsistent with the requirements for the statement.

Ballots containing the names of all qualified candidates and postage-paid return envelopes will be mailed to the home address of qualified voting members of the System on Wednesday, December 8, 2021. Completed ballots must be returned by U.S. mail before Monday, January 10, 2022. The votes will be counted on Monday, January 10, 2022.

Click Here for the SBCERS Elections Website

Please contact the clerkoftheboard@sbcers.org for questions or concerns.

SBCERS HOLIDAY OFFICE CLOSURE

Please note SBCERS offices will be closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday on Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26.

BOOK A VIRTUAL SBCERS APPOINTMENT ONLINE

Due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, all SBCERS counselling appointments will be held virtually, either over the phone or on Zoom. Members may schedule their own appointment online by clicking the button below. All upcoming dates are updated at www.sbcers.org/pop-up.

Click Here to Book an Appointment

Members may choose between 20-minute or 60-minute appointments.

Example 20-Minute Topics:

Service purchase of medical leave or extra help time
Divorce
Tax withholding changes
Health reimbursement claims
Direct deposit changes
Insurance questions

Example 60-Minute Topics:

Pre-retirement or retirement counseling sessions
Death benefit claims
Continuance onboarding

2021 COLA Tracker

For October 2021, Los Angeles Area Inflation (year over year) was 5.36%. The average monthly increase for 2021 to date is 3.34%.

View monthly inflation figures compared to last year.

Want to track the COLA on your own? On the 15th of each month, the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor statistics releases CPI data for Los Angeles.

Read the current Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

October 27, 2021 Board of Retirement Meeting Highlights

At the October 27, 2021 Board of Retirement meeting, the Board received Transaction Cost Analysis reports from Klarity FX and Abel Noser, a monthly investment update report from RVK, Inc., and directed Cheiron, Inc. to prepare actuarial valuations for consideration at the Board of Retirement’s December 8, 2021 meeting using the baseline assumptions (Discount rate 7.00%, Inflation 2.75%, Real Return 4.25%) and Scenario 1 assumptions (Discount rate 6.75%, Inflation 2.50%, Real Return 4.25%).

Read the draft October 27, 2021 Minutes.

November 17, 2021 Board of Retirement Meeting Agenda Available

The next Regular Board of Retirement meeting will be held virtually on November 17, 2021. You can watch the meeting via YouTube live stream at https://www.sbcers.org/board-of-retirement/watch-live/.

Members of the public who would like to make a public comment may do so via Zoom. Please email clerkoftheboard@sbcers.org for instructions.

Click HERE to access the agendas and board materials on our agenda management website.

WANT HELP WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE INQUIRIES & CONCERNS?

Looking for a stress-free solution to your healthcare inquiries and, or concerns? CareCounsel is our health advocacy partner and is a service offered as part of your benefit package. CareCounsel works independently from your insurance carrier and is a completely confidential resource.

It’s easy, call: (888-227-3334), or email staff@carecounsel.com Monday through Friday 6:30 am to 5:00 pm PST. After hours, you can leave a message and they will get back to you the next business day.

A few examples of why you should contact CareCounsel:

Education
Making Sense of Medicare
Benefits and Coverage Questions
Claims and Billing Assistance
Eligibility Status
Quality Concerns
Grievances and Appeals
Assistance with Locating Healthcare Providers

RETIRED EMPLOYEES OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY (RESBC)

RESBC is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of county retirees by providing information on critical retirement issues and offering educational/cultural social opportunities. Membership in RESBC is $2.50 monthly. Dues are deducted from the member’s Santa Barbara County pension payment. County employees may join RESBC by completing the RESBC Membership Deduction Authorization form at the time of their retirement exit conference.

Retirees may join at any time by requesting a membership form from SBCERS, 130 Robin Hill Road, Suite 100, Goleta, CA 93117, 1-877-568-2940 or, by clicking HERE and sending the completed form to benefits@sbcers.org.

RESBC Membership benefits include:

4 issues of the RESBC newsletter per year.
4 subsidized luncheon meetings per year held at various county locations.
Opportunities to participate in subsidized day trips and special events.
Attendance at special presentations on critical issues such as health insurance, pension litigation, pension-related court decisions, etc.
Opportunity to socialize and have fun with former co-workers and friends.

Have a question about an item in this newsletter?

Call a Benefit Representative at 1-877-568-2940. We are ready to help you!

Want to look at prior newsletters?

Click HERE to visit the SBCERS Newsletter Archive.