1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: June 24, 2025
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Betsy McClinton, Management Services Director
BY: Julie Chaidez, Human Resources Manager
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution of Compensation Plan for City Clerk and City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, and Department Managers; and Adoption of a Resolution of Compensation Plan for Unrepresented Mid-Managers
RECOMMENDATION
1. Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BURBANK AMENDING
AND RESTATING THE COMPENSATION PLAN FOR CITY CLERK AND CITY TREASURER, APPOINTED OFFICIALS, AND DEPARTMENT MANAGERS.
2. Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BURBANK AMENDING
AND RESTATING THE COMPENSATION PLAN FOR UNREPRESENTED MID - MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES.
BACKGROUND
The City of Burbank currently has two elected officials (City Clerk and City Treasurer) who are elected by Burbank residents, two Appointed Officials (City Manager and City Attorney) who are appointed by the City Council, and 11 Department Managers who report directly to the City Manager and are each responsible for managing a department within the City of Burbank.
The Unrepresented Mid -Manager population consists of 89 employees out of approximately 1,500 employees citywide. Unrepresented Mid -Management employees hold various titles including Assistant Department Directors, Deputy Directors, and other titles that report directly to a Department Manager or are involved with confidential matters.
2 DISCUSSION
It is the City’s financial policy to compensate employees at a level commensurate with the average of Burbank’s relevant market to recruit and retain a well -qualified workforce.
Burbank’s relevant market includes comparable classifications in comparable municipalities in Southern California.
In keeping with the City’s financial policy, staff conducted salary surveys for valuation of relevant market salaries for City Clerk and City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, and Department Managers, and for Unrepresented Mid-Manager classifications. The surveys revealed a challenging labor market for cities, with agencies providing higher than usual increases in compensation over the next one to two years.
To stay competitive in the labor market and ensure fairness across all employee groups, staff is proposing updates to compensation and benefits for City Clerk and City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, Department Managers, and Unrepresented Mid -Manager classifications. These proposed changes are detailed below.
Salary
Based on the results of salary surveys conducted by staff, the City Clerk, City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, and Department Managers are compensated, on average, 6.9 0% below the average of the market as of July 1, 2025. The surveys also showed that Unrepresented Mid-Manager classifications are, on average, 9. 14% below the average of the market as of July 1, 2025.
To remain competitive, staff proposes an increase in salary for City Clerk, City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, Department Managers, and Unrepresented Mid-Managers to bring them up to the market average, as follows:
• City Clerk and City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, and Department Managers o Effective June 22, 2025 : increase the classification salary ranges and incumbents’ salaries by 6.90%, on average , to align with the market average as of July 1, 2025 (Attachment 1, Exhibit A, Column 3). o Effective July 1, 2026: increase the salary ranges and incumbents’ salaries by 4%, to align with anticipated market movement (Attachment 1, Exhibit A, Column 5).
• Unrepresented Mid-Managers
o Effective June 22, 2025: increase the classification salary ranges and incumbents’ salaries by 9.14%, on average , to align with the market average as of July 1, 2025 , except for the Administrative Analyst I classification and its incumbent employees. To mitigate the overall cost, 3 salaries for the Administrative Analyst I classification and its incumbents will be adjusted to 67% of the salary survey average in effect as of July 1, 2025. (Attachment 2, Exhibit A, Column 3).
o Effective July 1, 2026: increase the salary ranges and incumbents’ salaries by 4%, to align with anticipated market movement , except for the Administrative Analyst I classification and its incumbent employees . The remaining 33% of the salary survey average for the Administrative Analyst I classification and i ncumbent employees will be adjusted to 100% of the salary survey average in effect as of July 1, 2025, and will also receive an additional 4% increase (Attachment 2, Exhibit A, Column 5).
Medical Contribution
The City of Burbank is among other public agencies in Southern California who contract with PERS to provide medical insurance to its employees. To address anticipated average increases in PERS premiums based on historical trends, remain competitive in the labor market, and maintain equity with adjustments previously approved by Council for other employee groups citywide, staff recommends increasing the City’s monthly maximum medical contributions by 5% e ach December 1 over the next two years, as shown below in Table 1 for the City Clerk, City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, and Department Managers and for Unrepresented Mid-Managers.
Table 1: Monthly Maximum Medical Contributions
Coverage Tier Current Effective 12/01/25 Effective 12/01/26 One Party $730 $767 $805
Two Party $1,459 $1,532 $1,609
Family $1,895 $1,990 $2,089
Additional Changes
• City Clerk, City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, Department Managers The resolution for the City Clerk, City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, and Department Managers (Attachment 1) includes additional changes to compensation and benefits intended to align Burbank’s standing within its relevant market, to recognize the critical leadership role s, heightened responsibilities, and extended time commitments expected of employees in these classifications, and to support the City’s financial policy to recruit and retain highly qualified individuals to fill these roles. These proposed revisions include:
o Increases to City matches to deferred compensation for “PEPRA” and “Classic”1 employees;
1 Under the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013, employees hired on or after January 1, 2013 receive different PERS retirement benefits than “Classic” members hired before that date. 4 o Increase to City’s monthly contribution toward employee s’ Retirement Health Savings Plan (RHS);
o Increase to Automobile Allowance;
o Redefine “Annual Physical” as “Wellness” to clarify eligible uses under the program; and
o Incorporation of special compensation items currently and/or previously paid to Police Chief and Fire Chief classifications.
• Unrepresented Mid-Managers
The resolution for the Unrepresented Mid -Managers (Attachment 2) contains additional revisions to benefits intended to elevate or align Burbank’s standing within its relevant market and to achieve parity among Burbank employees citywide. These proposed revisions include:
o Increases to City matches to deferred compensation for “PEPRA” employees;
o Increases to special compensation items for Police Captains to align with market data and maintain promotion incentives from lower ranks; o Addition of Certified Access Specialist (CASp) pay for the Assistant Community Development Director -Building Official, to ensure the City can meet regulatory obligations where CASp certification is essential; and o Increase to Retention Pay.
For ease of administration, the Amended and Restated City Clerk and City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, and Department Managers Resolution (Attachment 1), as well as the Amended and Restated Unrepresented Mid-Managers Resolution (Attachment 2) contain all aspects of compensation and benefits. The resolutions accurately reflect all compensation and benefits currently in existence.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and such as, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs §15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
Over the next two fiscal years, the total cost associated with the compensation and benefits changes for City Clerk, City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, and Department Managers is $881,322 ($740,970 General Fund). The total cost for Unrepresented Mid - Managers is $3,939,306 ($3,010,924 General Fund).
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26 cost for City Clerk, City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, and Department Managers is $340,305 ($284,711 General Fund). The FY 2025 -26 cost for 5 Unrepresented Mid-Managers is $1,556,407 ($1,191,896 General Fund). Sufficient funds are available in the FY 2025 -26 Adopted Budget to account for the cost; therefore, an additional budget appropriation is not required.
The ongoing fiscal impact of the changes associated with the proposed compensation and benefits for the City Clerk, City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, and Department Managers is $541,017 ($456,259 General Fund) and $2,382,899 ($1,819,028 General Fund) for the Unrepresented Mid -Managers in FY 2026 -27, which will be incorporated into the Five-Year Financial Forecast.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends adoption of t he proposed resolutions , which represent a comprehensive update to compensation and benefits for the City Clerk, City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, Department Managers, and Unrepresented Mid -Management employees. These updates are grounded in market data, support internal equity, and strengthen the City’s ability to recruit and retain qualified staff in key leadership and management roles, which is consistent with the City’s financial policy.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Amended and Restated City Clerk and City Treasurer, Appointed Officials, and Department Managers Resolution
Attachment 2 – Amended and Restated Unrepresented Mid-Managers Resolution