Updated October 30, 2026. Quick answer: The Sonoma County Employees’ Retirement Association (SCERA) has no automatic COLA, and the authority to grant one rests with the Board of Supervisors, not SCERA. The last COLA was granted in 2008 and brought retirees up to 80% of their original purchasing power. A new law, announced in a September 29, 2026 press release, gives the County more options for a future COLA but does not grant one. No 2027 COLA is set.
Who decides
The SCERA COLA background page says: “Sonoma County does not have an automatic COLA program so there were no contributions collected to fund a COLA and COLAs are not automatically granted each year.” It adds: “the authority to grant the COLA rests with the Board of Supervisors NOT SCERA.”
The last COLA
The page says: “The last COLA granted was in 2008 and it brought retirees up to 80% of their original purchasing power at their retirement date”. The annual report describes the history as “consisting of several one-time, post-retirement cost of living adjustments (COLAs), the last of which was adopted in 2008.”
The policy
The Retirement Board policy states: “the granting of such adjustments is a matter of discretion of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors under Article 16.6 of the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937”.
The 2026 law
SCERA’s press release says: “The new law does not grant a COLA or commit County funds; rather, it provides greater flexibility for the County and SCERA to evaluate potential options, costs, and long-term impacts. No COLA proposal has been developed at this time.”
What the documents do not say
The 2008 percentage increase and the Board of Supervisors resolution are not stated in the documents read, only the 80% outcome. With no automatic COLA there is no scheduled effective month; the SCERA policy says a County resolution or ordinance adopting a COLA states the date the adjustments are effective. The full text of the new law was not archived, only the press release summary.
Where 2027 stands
No 2027 SCERA COLA is set: SCERA’s September 29, 2026 press release says no COLA proposal has been developed at this time.
Common mistakes
- Expecting an annual COLA. SCERA has no automatic COLA.
- Reading the 2026 law as a COLA. The press release says it does not grant one or commit County funds.
- Asking SCERA to grant a COLA. The page says the authority rests with the Board of Supervisors; the SCERA policy has the Retirement Board recommend an ad hoc COLA to the Supervisors.
Related: Sonoma County SCERA retirement decisions, how public pension decisions work, and whether California taxes pensions.
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Answer againSources
- SCERA, Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Background Information: scretire.org
- SCERA, SCERA Annual Comprehensive Financial Report 2025: scera.sonomacounty.gov
- SCERA, Retirement Board Policy: Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA): scera.sonomacounty.gov
- SCERA, Press release: Governor Signs Legislation Expanding Pension COLA Options for Sonoma County Government Retirees: scretire.org
- Related official page (not quoted): IRS Tax Topic 410, Pensions and annuities: www.irs.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): IRS Tax Topic 411, Pensions: the General Rule and the Simplified Method: www.irs.gov
Read from the primary documents linked above on October 30, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer or the IRS itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.