Oakland Finance & Management Committee Meeting – June 24, 2025: PFRS Investment Portfolio Update and Routine Approvals
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Oakland Finance & Management Committee Meeting – June 24, 2025
The Oakland City Council Finance and Management Committee convened at 9:34 a.m. on June 24, 2025, under Chair Janani Ramachandran, with all four members present (Councilmembers Brown, Unger, Wang, and Ramachandran). The single substantive agenda item was an informational update on the Oakland Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS) investment portfolio as of March 31, 2025. The committee also unanimously approved routine consent items. No public comments were submitted on any agenda item.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Draft Minutes (June 10, 2025): Moved by Councilmember Unger, seconded by Councilmember Brown. Accepted 4-0 (all ayes).
- Determination of Schedule of Outstanding Committee Items: Moved by Councilmember Brown, seconded by Councilmember Unger. Accepted 4-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke on any agenda item or during open forum.
Discussion Items
- Oakland PFRS Investment Portfolio as of March 31, 2025 (Informational Report):
- Staff (Taylor and David Jones, Treasury Administrator/Plan Administrator) and investment consultant Makita & Associates presented the quarterly update.
- PFRS is a closed retirement system (no new members since 1976), serving 602 retired police and fire members. The fund had a market value of $458.6 million as of March 31, 2025, and $467 million as of May 31, 2025.
- The fiscal year-to-date net return was 3.9% through March and improved to 6.5% through May, outperforming the assumed 5% rate of return.
- The portfolio is being de-risked by increasing allocation to fixed income (approximately 60% bonds) to reduce volatility, given the fund's near-end-of-life status (average retiree age 82) and the mandate to become 100% funded by July 1, 2026. The fund is currently about 90% funded.
- Contributions from the pension tax override fund are decreasing as the portfolio grows. The actuary determines the required contribution; the levy will be set in July after assessed values are received. Surplus funds at the end of the fund's life (estimated around 2075) are still under legal review.
- Councilmembers asked about de-risking during global conflicts, the impact of tariffs and Middle East volatility, and differences between PFRS and CalPERS. Staff explained the active management approach, the shift to U.S. Treasury bonds, and that PFRS members receive raises (or cuts) tied to active members' compensation, unlike CalPERS retirements.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Receive and File: Councilmember Unger moved, seconded by Councilmember Wang, to receive and file the informational report. The motion passed unanimously (4-0).
- The committee took no other actions or directives beyond the consent items and receiving the report.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning and welcome to the Finance and Management Committee meeting for today's date. Um June 24, 2025. The time is now 9 34 a.m. and this meeting has come to order. Before taking roll, I will provide instructions on how to submit a speaker's cards for items on this agenda. If you are here with us in chambers and you would like to submit a speaker's card, please fill out one and turn into myself or clerk representative of PCC one before the item is read into record. This meeting came to order at 9 34 a.m. Speaker cards were no longer be accepted ten minutes after the meeting has begun, making that time 944 a.m. Well, with that, we would now proceed to take roll. Councilmember Brown. Present. Councilmember Unger. Here. Councilmember Wong. Present. And Chair Ramachandran. Present. We have four members present. And before you begin, Chair, do you have any announcements for today? Um, just very briefly, I know it's a short agenda. Um the reason that I even if the agenda only has one item that I prefer keeping these finance committee meetings active is in case something gets tossed in last minute. So I appreciate everyone being here bright and early to only hear one item. Uh it's my understanding that our next meeting also only has one item, just so for everyone's awareness. If the administration would like to add anything to that, we can fill up that meeting more. But thank you. Thank you for your announcements, Chair. Moving to our first item of the day, which is approval of the draft minutes of the committee meeting on June tenth, 2025. I will move approval of those. Second. We have a motion made by Councilmember Unger, second it by Councilmember Brown to accept the draft minutes of the committee meetings uh committee meeting of June tenth, 2025 as is on roll. Councilmember Brown. Aye. Councilmember Unger. Aye. Councilmember Wong. Aye. And Chair Ramachandran. Aye. This motion passes with four eyes to accept the draft minutes of the committee meeting of June tenth, 2025. Moving to item two. This is the termination of schedule outstanding committee items, also known as your pending list. Thank you. Um this item. Second. Aye. Councilmember Unger. Aye. Councilmember Wong. Aye. And Chair Ramachandran.
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