Highlights

UPCOMING BOARD OF RETIREMENT ELECTIONS

MEET THE TEAM: RAYKHER SAMIA

UPCOMING OFFICE CLOSURES

UPCOMING BOARD OF RETIREMENT ELECTIONS

On July 7th, active General and Safety members will receive a notice detailing the following Board of Retirement elections:

• General 2nd Member
• General 3rd Member (Special Election to fill a vacancy)
• Safety 8th and Alternate Safety 8th Members

If you have not already, please enroll in mySBCERS in order to receive your ballot via email this September. This is the fastest, most efficient way to ensure your vote is counted.

1. Go to https://mysbcers.org/Enroll.aspx to request a PIN.
2. Once you have your PIN, finish enrollment. Please make sure to use your personal email address, not your work email.

The elections begin Wednesday, September 3, 2025 and end Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

• The candidate receiving the most votes in the regular General 2nd Member election will serve a three-year term from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028.
• The candidate receiving the most votes in the special General 3rd member election will serve the remaining term of the vacancy from November 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026.
• The candidate receiving the most votes in the Safety 8th member election will be declared the voting member. The runner-up in a different safety category (i.e., law enforcement or fire) will be declared the alternate. Both seats will serve three-year terms from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028.

Only active General members are eligible to run for and vote in the General member elections. Only active Safety members are eligible to run for and vote in the Safety election.

To declare candidacy, an eligible member must submit the following forms by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, August 11:

1. Nomination Petition and Declaration of Candidacy Form
2. Candidate Qualification Statement
3. Ballot Designation Form
4. California Form 700

Forms are located in the Nomination Packet & Candidate Filing Guide, will be made available on Monday, July 7th at www.sbcers.org/elections.

MEET THE TEAM: RAYKHER SAMIA

SBCERS is delighted to welcome Raykher Samia to the Information Technology team. Raykher brings over 10 years of Information Technology experience and has worked with various public sector departments within and outside of the County of Santa Barbara. We are thrilled to have him on board and look forward to his contributions to our team’s success!

What is your specialty in your position?

"As an EDP Office Automation Specialist, I renew software and technology licenses to ensure company compliance, assess and manage the department budget, and provide hands on IT-support as needed."

What have you enjoyed most since starting at SBCERS?

"I value everyone's willingness to help each other while also being great mentors to learn from. Every person has a wealth of knowledge that is relatable to our department. I also appreciate the team's approachable nature and work environment."

What do you hope to accomplish at SBCERS?

"I look forward to learning the infrastructure behind a cloud-based storage system, as there are differences in the structure coming from the County side of Information Technology. Also, I aim to master understanding the processes and policies of budgeting for the IT department."

UPCOMING OFFICE CLOSURES

SBCERS will be closed on Friday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. Additionally, both offices will be closed on Wednesday, August 6th due for staff training.