City Financial Studies

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CalPERS Pension Valuation Reports

The City of Encinitas provides pension benefits to the employees through three separate, defined benefit plans: City Miscellaneous Plan, City Safe Plan (Fire and Lifeguards), and SDWD Miscellaneous Plan. City and SDWD pension plans are administered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).

Every year, CalPERS provides actuarial valuation reports for all the pension plans. The reports contain pension liabilities data at a point in time and project pension contributions for the new fiscal year. Typically, it takes CalPERS a full year to issue reports; so valuation reports for FY 2024 are released in summer 2025; valuation reports for FY 2025 are released in summer 2026, and so on.

Effective with the FY 2024 valuation, CalPERS no longer issues a separate amortization schedule for each tier of benefits. The tiers are combined into one schedule to give a clearer picture of the pension plan's financial health and long-term costs.

City Miscellaneous Plan (Tier 1, Tier 2, PEPRA) as of June 30, 2024, released July 2025
City Safety Plan - Fire (Tier 1, Tier 2, PEPRA) as of June 30, 2024, released July 2025
City Safety Plan - Lifeguard (Tier 1, Tier 2, PEPRA) as of June 30, 2024, released July 2025
City Archive Reports - CalPERS Valuation Reports for Prior Years

SDWD Miscellaneous Plan (Tier 1, Tier 2, PEPRA) as of June 30, 2024, released July 2025
SDWD Archive Reports - CalPERS Valuation Reports for Prior Years

Other Postemployment Benefits (OPEB)

The City of Encinitas provides postretirement health care benefits through the Public Employees Medical and Hospital Care Act (PENMHCA), which is a health benefit plan administered by CalPERS, to eligible employees who retiree directly from the city. The city pays the cost for lifetime retiree and dependent medical benefits (average premium for CalPERS health plans available in San Diego County) for fire department employees hired before March 16, 1995. Other city retirees receive the PEMHCA minimum benefit, as determined by CalPERS. The city does not provide a retiree contribution for dental, vision, or life insurance benefits. The city elected to join the California Employers' Retiree Benefit Trust (CERBT) in accordance with GASB Statement No. 45, which provides a means to fund the annual OPEB costs. The city makes an annual contribution to the trust, pays benefits either directly to retirees or through PEMHCA during the year, and seeks reimbursement for these "pay-as-you-go expenses from the trust. In order to comply with the GASB Statement No. 45 reporting requirements, a semi-annual OPEB study is prepared by an actuarial study to provide an actuarial valuation report as of June 30th for both the City of Encinitas and San Dieguito Water District.

Internal Cost Allocation Plan

In 2005, the City Council adopted the first comprehensive Internal Cost Allocation Plan, which calculates the cost of the support services provided by city administrative departments to other city funds and programs, including business-type activities such as water and wastewater operations. The plan has been updated in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2020.

Internal Cost Allocation Plan Study for FY 2020-21 and FY 2021-22 (Willdan Financial Services)
Internal Cost Allocation Plan Study for FY 2017-18 and FY 2018-19 (Willdan Financial Services)
Internal Cost Allocation Plan Study for FY 2015-16 and FY 2016-17 (MGT of America, Inc.)

Development Impact Fee Studies

The City collects a variety of Development Impact Fees, including Park Development, Parkland Acquisition, Traffic Mitigation, Open Space Acquisition, Recreation Trails, Community Facilities, Fire Facilities, and Flood Control. Some of the City's fees were updated in 2015 and some fees are still based on the 2000 study.

Current Fee Schedules
Development Impact Fee Study May 2026 (Harris & Associates)
Development Impact Fee Study 2015 (Colgan Consulting)
Development Impact Fee Study 2005 (Colgan Consulting)
Development Impact Fee Study 2000 (DMG-MAXIMUS)

Development User Fee Cost Recovery Study

The focus of this cost of services study is on development-related user fee services, specifically Planning, Fire Prevention, and Engineering fees. Building permit and inspection fees are not included in this analysis.

2026 Comprehensive User Fee Study MGT - DRAFT
Cost Recovery Study Findings - FY 2020-21 (Willdan Financial Services)
Cost Recovery Study Findings - FY 2016-17 (Willdan Financial Services)
Cost Recovery Study Findings - FY 2014-15 (MGT of America, Inc.)
Cost Recovery Study Findings - FY 2011-12 (MGT of America, Inc.)

Water Rate Study

This study provides a comprehensive review of the District's Financial Plan and allocated costs to customer classes and tiers using Cost of Service principals.

SDWD's Water Rate Study Report (dated July 30, 2021) (Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc.)

Wastewater Rate Study

This study provides a comprehensive review of the Cardiff Sanitary Division and Encinitas Sanitary Division Financial Plans and allocated costs to customer classes using Cost of Service principals.