The City of Austin Employees Retirement System (COAERS) is holding a special election to fill the unexpired term for the Place 7 position on the Board of Trustees. With the resignation of Mr. Ben Ellinor from the COAERS Board, a special election must be conducted to elect a new Trustee to serve out the remainder of the term, which ends on December 31, 2027.

Eligibility for Active Member Place 7

Are you interested in serving as a Trustee on the COAERS Board? To be an eligible candidate, you must be a current City of Austin employee contributing to COAERS and not on a leave of absence. Please know that employees currently employed by Austin Transportation and Public Works and Austin Energy cannot run in this election since these departments are currently represented by Trustees holding Places 8 and 9 on the COAERS Board.

How to Become a Candidate for Place 7

If you are interested in becoming a candidate for Place 7, you must complete and submit the candidate application. The candidate application packet can be found on the COAERS website at www.coaers.org/board-elections.

Application Deadline

The deadline to submit your completed candidate application is by or before Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at 5:00 pm Central Time.

Candidate Training Workshop

A Candidates Training Workshop will be held during the first week of July. The workshop is an informational session for candidates to learn about Trustee duties and responsibilities. Candidates may withdraw their application after the session if they are unable to make the necessary commitments.

If you are interested in becoming a candidate for Place 7, or have questions about the election, please email Michelle Mahaini at michelle.mahaini@coaers.org.