DATE:
October 24, 2023
CATEGORY:
New Business
DEPT.:
City Council
TITLE: Compensation for Council Appointees
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Resolution of the City Council o f the City of Mountain View Approving Annual Compensation Increases for the City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Manager and Adopt a Revised Salary Plan, to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 1 to the Council report).
BACKGROUND
Compensation for City employees may be adjusted through:
• Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) which are t ypically established in labor agreements negotiated with the City’s employee groups;
• Merit or step increases which are provided through individual annual performance evaluations; and
• Equity adjustments which are based on labor market conditions for specific job classifications or based on salary compaction between a manager and subordinate staff.
For the three City officials appointed by the City Council (City Attorney, City Clerk , and City Manager), the City Council conducts an annual evaluation and determines appropriate compensation adjustments for adoption at a regular City Council meeting.
Per Council Policy D-9, Council Appointee Communications and Performance Evaluation Process, the City Attorney, City Clerk , and City Manager received the same annual cost-of-living (COLA) adjustment consistent with the unrepresented department heads, which was 4% this fiscal year effective the pay period including July 1, 2023.
Compensation for Council Appointees
October 24, 2023
ANALYSIS
The 202 3 Council appointee performance evaluation process included review of their Fiscal Year 2022-23 accomplishments. All of the Council appointees have provided exceptional service to the City of Mountain View over the last year. The Council was impressed by their accomplishments and the success this caused for the City. The process also included review of historical salary adjustments for the Council appointees, the current salary levels of the Council appointees’ direct reports and any compaction issues, and a market survey of City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Manager compensation in other cities.
Based on this review, the City Council has determined the merit increases for the City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Manager, as follows:
City Attorney 5.0% merit increase
Increase of cell phone allowance from $50 to $100 per month
City Clerk 4.0% merit increase
1.0% of salary as ongoing contribution to 457 deferred compensation plan
City Manager 5.0% merit increase
2.0% of salary as ongoing contribution to the City Manager’s 401(a) deferred compensation plan
The merit adjustments and ongoing deferred compensation contributions for the City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Manager will be integrated with the COLA that was effective the pay period including July 1, 2023. These adjustments will be retroactive and in alignment with the timing of merit increases provided to other groups and reflective of the Council appointee evaluation process, which routinely takes place after the close of the fiscal year.
FISCAL IMPACT
These increases can be absorbed by the department budget in Fiscal Year 2023-24.
ALTERNATIVES
Provide alternative direction to staff regarding compensation for Council appointees.
Compensation for Council Appointees
October 24, 2023
PUBLIC NOTICING—Agenda posting.
Prepared by:
Pat Showalter
Vice Mayor
PS/SCR/6/CAM
001-10-24-23CR
203572
Attachment: 1. Resolution