Updated October 30, 2026. Quick answer: The Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association (VCERA) pays an annual COLA each April to retirees in certain membership categories. Safety and General Tier 1 retirees get the December CPI change, rounded, up to 3%, with any excess banked. For April 2026 the Board approved 3.0% on January 26, 2026, and General Tier 2 and Tier 8 retirees get a fixed 2.0% on their SEIU or CNA service. The 2027 COLA is not published.
Who gets the CPI-based COLA
The VCERA COLA page says: “Pursuant to employee-employer agreements, VCERA pays an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to retirees in certain membership categories.” It adds: “Safety retirees and General Tier 1 retirees are eligible for an annual COLA, not to exceed 3%.” On the cap: “If the rounded CPI is more than the 3% COLA maximum, the excess will be “banked” and applied to a COLA in a future year when the annual CPI change results in an increase of less than 3%.”
The 2026 COLA
The VCERA 2026 page states: “The regional CPI change from December 2024 to December 2025 was 3.0% after rounding. The Board of Retirement approved the 3.0% COLA at its meeting on January 26, 2026.” It adds: “The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for eligible retirees, beneficiaries, and other payees with a retirement date of April 1, 2026 or earlier will be reflected in retirement benefit payments on April 30, 2026.”
The fixed 2.0% group
The 2026 page says of the fixed percentage: “This percentage is not subject to CPI changes. The 2.0% General Tier 2 and Tier 8 COLA increases are automatic under the terms of the Board of Retirement Regulation and applicable labor agreements”.
What the documents do not say
California Government Code sections 31870 and 31870.1 could not be archived for this page, so the rule comes from VCERA’s own pages. The 2023 member handbook describes the CPI measure differently from the current pages; this page follows the current pages. Other General tiers outside the SEIU and CNA arrangements are not listed with a COLA in the documents read.
Where 2027 stands
The 2027 VCERA COLA is not published: it rests on the December 2026 CPI, and VCERA’s page for a 2027 COLA was not on the site when checked.
Common mistakes
- Expecting every VCERA retiree to get the CPI-based COLA. The documents read limit it to Safety and General Tier 1.
- Treating the fixed 2.0% as tied to the CPI. The 2026 page says it is not subject to CPI changes.
- Assuming the 3% cap wastes inflation above it. The excess is banked for a later year.
Related: VCERA retirement decisions, how public pension decisions work, and whether California taxes pensions.
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Answer againSources
- VCERA, Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA): www.vcera.org
- VCERA, 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA): vcera.gov
- 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.