The San Diego City Employees’ Retirement System (SDCERS) today released its annual actuarial valuations for the City of San Diego, the Unified Port of San Diego and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority for the year ended June 30, 2013.
The City of San Diego’s FY 2015 Annual Required Contribution (ARC) is $263.6 million, an $11.8 million decrease from $275.4 owed in FY 2013. The primary factors for this decrease were the assumed free on pensionable pay and changes in economic assumptions caused by the system’s recent discount rate adjustment. The FY 2015 ARC is due to be paid to SDCERS on or after July 1, 2009. The City’s Unfunded Actuarial Liability (UAL) has decreased by $41.6 million, primarily due to an assumed freeze on pay increased through FY 2018 based on negotiated labor agreements, a reduction in the long-term pay inflation assumption after 2018 and a return on SDCERS’ assets greater than expected. The City’s funding ratio, the ratio of the system’s actuarial value of assets to its actuarial liabilities, increased by 1.8 percent to 70.4 percent from 68.6 percent.
The Unified Port of San Diego’s FY 2015 ARC payment is $14.3 million, compared to $13.9 million the previous year. The driving factor for the ARC increase was the change in economic assumptions caused by the discount rate adjustment. The FY 2015 ARC is due to be paid to SDCERS on or after July 1, 2009. As of June 30, 2013, the Port’s UAL increased by $3.5 million, totaling $107.7 million compared to $104.2 million the previous year. The increase is due to changes in economic assumption caused by the discount rate adjustment and pay inflation. More than half of the UAL’s increase was offset by liabilities growing less than expected and a return on SDCERS’ assets greater than expected. The Port’s funding ratio increased by 1 percent to 73.7 percent in June 2013 from 72.7 percent in June 2012.
The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority’s FY 2015 ARC will be $3,833.0, compared to $2904.5 in FY 2014. The increase was driven by liabilities being greater than expected. The FY 2015 ARC is due to be paid to SDCERS on or after July 1, 2009. The Airport Authority’s UAL increased by $6,151.5, totaling $7,583.7 compared to $1,432.2 the previous year. The primary cause of the UAL increase was liabilities being greater than expected and a change in the economic assumptions caused by the discount rate adjustment and pay inflation. The Airport Authority’s funding ratio decreased by 5.1 percent, to 93.5 percent from 98.5%.
SDCERS administers defined benefit plans for the City of San Diego, the San Diego Unified Port District, and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority and provides service retirement, disability retirement, death and survivor benefits to more than 20,450 members. As of September 30, 2013, SDCERS had approximately $6.3 billion in net investments.