Article 1. Establishment of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 6. >> Chapter 5. >> Article 1.

The board may establish a retirement system for the officers, whether elective or appointive, or both, and employees of the district and provide for the payment of annuities, pensions, retirement allowances, disability payments, and death benefits, or any of them.

The district may maintain its own retirement fund or may provide for benefits to eligible officers and employees, or their beneficiaries, by means of group insurance or other insurance, or by such means as in the opinion of the board will satisfactorily provide an adequate and sure method of meeting the payments contemplated by the retirement system.

Before establishing any retirement system the board shall secure a report from a qualified actuary, which shall show the cost of the benefits provided by the system, and the prospective assets and liabilities of the system.

The board may adopt all ordinances and resolutions and perform all acts necessary or convenient to the initiation, maintenance, and administration of the retirement system.

A district may make all or part of its officers, whether elective or appointive, or both, and employees members of the Public Employees' Retirement System by contract entered into between the district and the board of administration of the system under the Public Employees' Retirement Law (Part 3 (commencing with Section 20000) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code); and the district may perform all acts necessary or convenient for that participation.

The board may classify and determine the officers, whether elective or appointive, or both, and employees who shall be included as members in the retirement system and may change the classification from time to time. Membership of all officers and employees so classified and included in the retirement system is compulsory.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a participant in a deferred compensation plan may also participate in the district's retirement system, and, in ascertaining the amount of compensation of such participant, for purposes of computing the amount of his contributions or benefits under the district's retirement system, any amount deducted from his wages pursuant to Section 12338 shall be included.