REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 9, 2025
FROM
LEONARDO GONZALEZ, Director, Human Resources Department
SUBJECT
Title
Memoranda of Understanding with the Sheriff's Employees' Benefit Association Representing Employees in the Safety Unit and the Safety Management and Supervisory Unit
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve a Memorandum of Understanding between San Bernardino County and the Sheriff's Employees' Benefit Association for employees in the Safety Unit, effective upon Board of Supervisors approval through September 30, 2028.
2. Approve a Memorandum of Understanding between San Bernardino County and the Sheriff's Employees' Benefit Association for employees in the Safety Management and Supervisory Unit, effective upon Board of Supervisors approval through September 30, 2028.
3. Authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post the necessary budget adjustments as detailed in the Financial Impact section (Four votes required).
(Presenter: Leonardo Gonzalez, Director, 387-5570)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Create, Maintain and Grow Jobs and Economic Value in the County.
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Safety Unit
Approval of this MOU will result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) of $15.3 million in 2025-26, $29.6 million in 2026-27, $39.0 million in 2027-28, and $42.0 million in ongoing years. The total estimated ongoing cost of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is $25.7 million in 2025-26, $49.7 million in 2026-27, $65.6 million in 2027-28, and $70.6 million in ongoing years.
The MOU includes a one-time contribution of $8 million towards the Sheriff's Employees' Benefit Association (SEBA) Healthcare Trust, funded from the County's Labor Reserve. SEBA will utilize $1,521,557 of the $8 million to repay the Loan Agreement approved by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on February 25, 2025 (Item No. 21). As a result, the County will provide a one-time lump sum payment of $6,478,443 to the SEBA Healthcare Trust.
Approval of the following budget adjustments will authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post adjustments to the 2025-26 budget to process the one-time contribution to the SEBA Healthcare Trust, which will be required to be processed within 90 days of Board approval, but no sooner than October 4, 2025:
Fund Center
Commitment Item
Description
Action
Amount
1000
37008500
Fund Balance-Committed-Labor
Decrease
$8,000,000
7200001000
51001305
Other Fringes
Increase
$8,000,000
The MOU also includes a Revenue-Sharing provision that, if conditions are met, may result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) of approximately $1.7 million in 2026-27, $4.4 million in 2027-28, and $5.2 million in ongoing years. The total estimated ongoing cost associated with the Revenue-Sharing provision is $2.8 million in 2026-27, $7.4 million in 2027-28, and $8.8 million in ongoing years.
Approval of additional budget adjustments are not requested at this time, but will be included on a future budget report presented to the Board for approval. Sufficient appropriation will also be included in subsequent recommended budgets.
Safety Management and Supervisory Unit
Approval of this MOU will result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) of $4.1 million in 2025-26, $7.3 million in 2026-27, $9.6 million in 2027-28, and $10.3 million in ongoing years. The total estimated ongoing cost of this MOU is $7.0 million in 2025-26, $12.3 million in 2026-27, $16.3 million in 2027-28, and $17.6 million in ongoing years.
The MOU also includes a Revenue-Sharing provision that, if conditions are met, may result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) of approximately $419,000 in 2026-27, $970,000 in 2027-28, and $999,000 in ongoing years. The total estimated ongoing cost associated with the Revenue-Sharing provision is $711,000 in 2026-27, $1.6 million in 2027-28, and $1.7 million in ongoing years.
Approval of additional budget adjustments are not requested at this time, but will be included on a future budget report presented to the Board for approval. Sufficient appropriation will also be included in subsequent recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Representatives of San Bernardino County, under direction of the Board, met and conferred with representatives of SEBA in an attempt to reach contract extensions covering wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment for employees in the Safety Unit and the Safety Management and Supervisory Unit. The parties reached agreement on the proposed MOUs with a term that will expire at 12:00 a.m. (midnight) of September 30, 2028.
The proposed MOUs include the following:
* 3% across-the-board increases effective October 4, 2025, and October 3, 2026.
* 4% across-the-board increase effective October 2, 2027.
* Increases to the Medical Premium Subsidy for all coverage levels effective October 4, 2025, and July 11, 2026.
* A one-time $8 million dollar contribution towards the SEBA Healthcare Trust within 90 days of Board approval, but no sooner than October 4, 2025.
* The following will be effective October 4, 2025:
o Provide a salary range restructure.
o Increase all Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) levels.
o Create an Intermediate POST level.
o Establish a County matching contribution to the deferred compensation plan of 0.5%.
o Increase On-Call pay from $195 per week to $250 a week and remove Lieutenants and District Attorney Commanding Investigators from eligibility.
o Increase the Field Incentive Pay wage differential from 5% to 10%.
o Increase the Field Training Officer wage differential from 2.5% to 5%.
o Increase the Corrections Training Officer wage differential from 2.5% to 5%.
o Create an Assignment Pay wage differential of $6.25 per hour for Lieutenants and District Attorney Commanding Investigators.
o Increase the Long-Term Disability contribution from $43 a month to $50 a month.
o Increase the Retirement Medical Trust Fund Sick Leave Conversion formula maximum by 100 hours.
o Increase the Retirement Medical Trust Fund contribution for employees with 1 to 10 years of service from 0.25% to 0.50%.
* Extend the Educational Incentive Pay throughout the term of the MOU.
* Establish a Revenue-Sharing initiative that allows for a 1% equity effective October 3, 2026, and a Medical Premium Subsidy increase effective October 2, 2027, if certain conditions are met.
* Make administrative changes to the Expense Reimbursement, Healthcare Trust, and Leave Provisions articles.
* Incorporate previously approved Side Letter Agreements into the MOU by mutual agreement.
* Clean up language throughout the entirety of the MOU.
SEBA has notified the County that the Safety Unit and the Safety Management and Supervisory Unit have ratified the proposed MOU. Therefore, if approved by the Board, the proposed MOU will constitute a successor labor agreement between the County and SEBA covering wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment through September 30, 2028.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Cynthia O'Neill, Chief Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 28, 2025; Human Resources (Leonardo Gonzalez, Director, 387-5570) on August 27, 2025; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Charlene Huang, Auditor Controller Manager, 382-7022) on August 27, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Garrett Baker, Administrative Analyst, 387-3077) on August 27, 2025.