The board may establish a retirement system for the officers 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 administrations of the retirement system.

Nothing in this chapter prevents the district from participation in and making all or part of its employees members of the State Employees’ Retirement System by contract entered into between the district and the board of administration of the system under the State Employees’ Retirement Law or from participating in the Federal Social Security Act pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 22000), Division 5, Title 2 of the Government Code, and the district may perform all acts necessary or convenient for such participation. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the district from participating in and making all of its employees members of the Santa Cruz County Employees’

Retirement System.

The board may classify and determine the officers 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. The retirement system shall not apply to members of the board.