Fire & Police Pension Fund,San Antonio

Press Releases

San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund earns 9.26% average five-year return and approves additional pension check to retirees

SAN ANTONIO (March 1, 2021) – With its five-year investment average triggering some enabling provisions in state law, the San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund Board voted on February 24 to distribute an additional $13 million among its 2,823 retirees for the 2020 benefits year.

The performance distribution will also benefit the state and local economy because 85% of SAFPPF pensioners reside in the greater San Antonio Metropolitan area and 97% live in Texas.

For its fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the pension fund gained 10.0%, completing a five-year run in which the Fund averaged 9.26% per year and increased the value of the pension by over $1 billion, to its current $3.7 billion in assets under management.

The 9.26% five-year average surpassed its 7.25% target rate by 2.01%, more than double the 1% excess trigger required by state law before the Board may consider a performance distribution.

“Our retired members have been particularly impacted in the last year because of Covid-19 and even the recent freeze event,” said James Smith, the SAFPPF Board chairman. “In addition, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average reaching all-time highs, it is a good time to bring home some San Antonio money from our investments in New York and around the world.”

Michael Trainer, president of the San Antonio Fire and Police Pensioners Association, believes the Board’s decision comes at a good time.

“Covid-19 hits our older members hard and increases their healthcare costs. Retirees should never have to make decisions about whether to buy food or pay for prescriptions. This distribution will help some of our members catch up with bills that got out of control in the last year,” Trainer said.

About the San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund (SAFPPF)

The San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund provides comprehensive retirement, death and disability benefits for the City of San Antonios approximately 6,939 police officers, firefighters, retirees and their beneficiaries. With $3.7 billion in assets under management and its 87.6% funded ratio, the SAFPPF is among the best performing billion-dollar-plus systems......Read More

San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund earns 14.7% in 2017, surpasses $3 billion in assets

SAN ANTONIO (May 2, 2018) - The San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund (SAFPPF) earned a 14.7 percent return on $2.8 billion in investable assets in 2017, adding $370 million to the retirement benefits system for retired police officers, firefighters, and their beneficiaries.

The pension fund ended FY 2017 with $3.2 billion, the first time in its long history that it exceeded $3 billion. SAFPPF was founded in 1919 and then established as a trust in Texas statutes by the legislature in 1941. SAFPPF targets a 7.25 percent return to achieve funding goals for its members’ benefits and has attained an 8.4 percent average return for the last five years.

"We have a very disciplined approach to selecting investments and it is working well," said J.T. Trevino, chairman of the SAFPPF Board of Trustees. "We diversify our members’ assets among six major investment categories through a stringent selection and verification process. We are recognized as a leading pension system in the state because of the success we’ve had with conservative governance of our members’ earned benefits."

San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund Board Elects New Officers

SAN ANTONIO (May 27, 2015) – The San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund’s Board of Trustees elected new officers at their May Board Meeting.

After re-election to the Board by SAFPPF members in April, the Trustees elected San Antonio Fire Engineer J.T. Trevino to serve as its chairman. Trevino had served previously as the Board vice chairman, and led the Ad Hoc Government and Public Relations Committee. He replaces Police Captain Shawn Ury.

The Board elected Police Sergeant James Smith to become vice chairman. Smith was unopposed in the April election. The Board also elected San Antonio City Councilman Ray Lopez as secretary.

Several Trustees offered their praise and gratitude to Ury for his exemplary service as Chairman. The Trustees also offered their appreciation for Councilman Lopez’s service, commenting on his attendance record at Board meetings and his representation of the Pension Fund.

SAFPPF Announces New Website

SAN ANTONIO (May 21, 2015)---The SAFPPF today launched a new version of its public and members website. The new design was created to provide information in a more streamlined fashion to SAFPPF members and the general public. Please understand that this first design is primarily for desktop computer viewing. A version for tablets and mobile phones will be rolling out in the next 2-4 weeks.

Please provide any feedback about the website to info@safppf.org. We would like to know how you engaged with the site and whether there is anything we can do to make it more user-friendly.

SAFPPF Replaces Retiring Benefits Specialist

SAN ANTONIO (May 15, 2015) – The San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund today announced the hiring of Savini Nanayakkara as benefits specialist to replace retiring specialist Sonia Martinez.

Nanayakkara is an Austin native who recently graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management. She was involved in the Society of Human Resource Management ( SHRM) student chapter and brings human resource experience from positions at Rackspace, UTSA, and IBTX Risk Services.

Nanayakkara replaces Martinez, who after 38 years of service to the pension fund beginning in 1977, retired on March 30. Martinez saw the market value of the SAFPPF increase from $50 million to the current $2.7 billion in assets under management. Over that period, 2,373 fire fighters and police retired and received, in some way, assistance from Martinez.

In addition to Nanayakkara, the pension fund employs Jessica Pelaez and Cinzia Davenport to assist members with benefits questions. More information about them and the entire staff is available on the SAFPPF staff webpage.

Election results for the SAFPPF Board of Trustees

SAN ANTONIO (April 29, 2015)– Fire Engineer Manuel “J.T.” Trevino won his re-election bid to the San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund’s Board of Trustees, defeating challenger Jerry Cortes with 362 votes to 110 votes, respectively.

Active police representative Jim Smith and retired police retired representative Harry Griffin did not draw challengers.

The election results were certified by the SAFPPF Board of Trustees at its April 29 meeting.....Read More

San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund to Inject $9 million in Metropolitan Area Economy through Performance Distribution

SAN ANTONIO (November 26, 2014) – With its five-year investment returns triggering state law, the San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund Board voted unanimously today to distribute an additional $9 million among its 2,374 retirees and beneficiaries for the 2014 benefits year.....Read More