Pass: 143,935 / 59.22% Yes votes ...... 99,133 / 40.78% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote on this measure means:

A "yes" vote is a vote to approve the alternate serving as an alternate for the Supervisor-member.

A NO vote on this measure means:

A "no" vote is a vote against the alternate serving as an alternate for the Supervisor-member.

The Retirement Board is made up of nine members. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors appoints four persons to be members of the Retirement Board ("appointees"). All four appointees must be eligible to vote in the County and may not be connected with County government, but one appointee may be a member of the Board of Supervisors ("Supervisor-appointee").

Certain Retirement Board members have been authorized by statute to have alternates. Before 2006, however, an alternate was not authorized for the four appointees. Under a new statute, effective January 1, 2006, the Board of Supervisors is authorized to appoint one floating alternate for its four appointees to the Retirement Board. Pursuant to this statute, the Board of Supervisors has appointed an alternate. The alternate may vote as a member of the Retirement Board only when one of the four appointees is absent from a Retirement Board meeting for any cause. If there is a vacancy with respect to one of the four appointees, the alternate fills the vacancy until a successor qualifies. The alternate is entitled to the same compensation as the four appointees. However, the alternate may not serve as an alternate for the Supervisor-member unless a majority of voters approve that arrangement.

This ballot measure asks the voters to decide whether the alternate may serve as an alternate to the Supervisor-member.

A "yes" vote is a vote to approve the alternate serving as an alternate for the Supervisor-member.

A "no" vote is a vote against the alternate serving as an alternate for the Supervisor-member.

Contra Costa Times

• Contra Costa County: Measure M - 10.08.06

Currently there is an alternate for every member of the County Retirement Board except the member who is a County Supervisor. Consequently, when the County Supervisor member cannot attend a meeting, there is no alternate to take his/her place. This is neither fair nor equitable.

New state law allows for an alternate for a County Supervisor member of the County Retirement Board if approved by a majority of the electorate.

Authorizing an alternate for the County Supervisor member on the County Retirement Board will not increase the number of alternates or result in any increased costs. The same alternate will serve for all Board-appointed Retirement Board members.

A "YES" on Measure M:

• increases the County's ability to protect taxpayer interests;
• allows full representation of the County and its taxpayers on the County Retirement Board;
• adds no additional costs for Retirement Board alternates.

Supervisor John Gioia, Chair, Board of Supervisors

Supervisor Mary N. Piepho, Vice Chair, Board of Supervisors

William J. Pollacek, Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector

Stephen J. Ybarra, Contra Costa County Auditor-Controller

(No arguments against Measure M were submitted)

The People of the County of Contra Costa hereby ordain as follows:

Section 1. Title

This ordinance shall be entitled "Alternate for County Supervisor on County Retirement Board."

Section 2. Summary

This ordinance will add Article 38-4.10 to the Contra Costa County Ordinance Code to permit the alternate member appointed by the Board of Supervisors to the Contra Costa County Employees' Retirement Association Board of Retirement to serve as the alternate for a County Supervisor member of the Retirement Board.

Section 3. Statement of Purpose and Findings

The voters of Contra Costa County approve this ordinance based on the following facts and considerations.

A. The County Employees' Retirement Act of 1937 sets forth the membership composition requirements for nine-member Retirement Boards. One elected member represents safety employees (e.g., fire and law enforcement), one elected member represents retired employees, two elected members represent general (non-safety) employees, and four members appointed by the Board of Supervisors (4th, 5th, 6th and 9th members) represent the employers, Contra Costa County and other member public agencies. The County Treasurer-Tax Collector serves as an ex officio member of the Retirement Board.

B. Retirement Board members appointed by the Board of Supervisors must be persons eligible to vote in the County but have no connection to County government, except that one of the members may be a member of the Board of Supervisors (i.e., a County Supervisor). A County Supervisor currently serves as a Board of Supervisors' appointee to the Retirement Board.

C. The Retirement Act allows alternates to serve for certain members of the Retirement Board. There is an alternate for the member representing retirees and an alternate for the general and safety members. The Treasurer-Tax Collector also has an alternate.

D. Government Code section 31520.12, enacted in 2005, authorized the Board of Supervisors to appoint an alternate member for its appointees to the Retirement Board. An alternate member has been appointed by the Board, but the alternate member does not currently serve as an alternate for the County Supervisor member. This is because Government Code section
31520.12 requires that, if the Board of Supervisors appoints a County Supervisor to the Retirement Board, the alternate member appointed by the Board of Supervisors may not serve as the alternate for the County Supervisor member "unless service by an alternate member for an appointed supervisor member is approved by the majority of the electors in the County."

E. Because the Retirement Board sets employer-paid retirement rates, decisions of the Retirement Board can have a significant impact on County finances. Consequently it is important that the County be fully represented on the Retirement Board. Currently, when a County Supervisor who is appointed as a Retirement Board member is unable to attend a Retirement Board meeting, no alternate can take his or her place. The purpose of this ordinance is to remedy that situation by allowing the Board-appointed alternate to also serve as the alternate for a County Supervisor member of the Retirement Board.

Section 4. Authorization and Implementation

Article 38-4.10, authorizing the alternate member appointed by the Board of Supervisors to the Contra Costa County Employees' Retirement Association Board of Retirement to serve as the alternate for a County Supervisor member, is added to the County Ordinance Code to read:

Article 38-4.10

Alternate for County Supervisor on County Retirement Board

38-4.1002 Alternate May Serve For County Supervisor. If the board of supervisors appoints a county supervisor as the fourth, fifth, sixth or ninth member of the board of retirement, and by resolution appoints an alternate member for its appointees to the board of retirement, the alternate member may serve as the alternate for the county supervisor member. (Ord. 2006-40 §4 [Govt. Code § 31520.12].)

Section 5. Effective Date. This measure shall become effective immediately upon approval by a majority of the electors in the County.