On July 1, San Francisco Dentists, Assistant Medical Examiners and Veterinarians received a 3.25% salary increase based on the Consumer Price Index for the Bay Area. Two more take-home pay changes affected all doctors in the unit. These changes are pursuant to cost-sharing measures found in San Francisco Proposition C, which was passed by the voters in November 2011.
First, Prop C created a new employee pension contribution percentage that floats above the baseline according to the City’s required contribution (the latter being determined by law in order to keep the pension adequately funded). Based on SFERS’s actuarial projections, the City’s required contribution in fiscal year 2016-2017 will decrease, resulting in a 1% decrease in the required employee contribution for the upcoming fiscal year.
Prop C also set contribution requirements for the Retiree Health Care Trust Fund, which was created to ensure adequate funding for current and future SF retirees’ healthcare premiums. Employees who were hired on or after January 10, 2009 have been contributing 2% of salary to the Fund, while the City has been contributing 1%. Starting July 1, employees hired on or before January 9, 2009 will begin contributing 0.25% of salary to the Fund. Those employees’ contributions will increase by 0.25% in each of the following three fiscal years, until reaching the maximum of 1% effective July 1, 2019. The City’s contribution rates will mirror those of employees hired on or before January 9, 2009.
Employees having questions related to their pensions are encouraged to contact SFERS directly. Those having questions related to current or retiree health provisions should contact the San Francisco Health Service System.