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Board approves change to VCERA bylaws to separate disability procedures from bylaws after stakeholder debate
Summary
After extended public comment from retirement trustees, labor groups and county staff, the Board of Supervisors approved amendments to the Ventura County Employees Retirement Association bylaws to remove 1999 disability hearing procedures so the retirement board can update administrative procedures without supervisor veto.
Representatives of the Ventura County Employees Retirement Association (VCERA) urged the Board of Supervisors to approve amendments that remove the outdated 1999 Disability Hearing Procedures (DHPs) from the retirement board’s bylaws. Amy Herron, VCERA retirement administrator, told supervisors the DHPs are outdated and that leaving them attached to the bylaws gives the Board of Supervisors veto authority over procedural updates that should fall to the VCERA trustees under the California Constitution.
Aaron Grass, chair of the VCERA Board of Retirement, and several member representatives including Maeve Fox and Don Brot spoke in support, describing governance and fiduciary reasons to approve the change. They argued the board needs timely authority to update procedures to ensure prompt delivery of benefits and to adapt investigative and administrative practices the retirement board now runs internally.
County senior deputy Catherine LaVotte (Risk Management) described the county’s historical role in the disability process and said county staff had raised concerns that removing the DHPs could reduce employer participation and create fiscal risk if the county’s ability to provide employer evidence were curtailed. Board members probed how the change would affect county access to records and interplay with workers’ compensation; staff said the change is not intended to change statutory employer rights but could alter how procedures are modified.
Following discussion, the board voted to approve the bylaw amendments and remove the 1999 DHPs from the bylaws. Supporters said the change aligns the bylaws with constitutional plenary authority given to retirement boards; county staff said they would continue to participate in the disability process as an employer and provide evidence when appropriate.
Why it matters: the amendments change governance relationships between the Board of Supervisors and the retirement board and clarify who can modify internal procedures affecting disability retirement decisions.
Next steps: County and VCERA staff to record the amended bylaws and continue coordination on the disability retirement process as the VCERA board updates its procedures.
