DATE:
September 23, 2025
CATEGORY:
New Business
DEPT.:
City Council
TITLE: Annual Compensation Increases for the
City Attorney, City Clerk, and City
Manager and Amending the Fiscal Year
2025-26 Salary Plan for Regular
Employees to Update the Salaries for
Council Appointees
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Approving Annual Compensation Increases for the City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Manager, and Amending the Fiscal Year 2025 -26 Salary Plan for regular employees to update the salaries for Council appointees, 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) to salary, which are typically established through labor agreements negotiated with the City’s employee groups;
• Merit or step increases to salary, which are provided through individual annual performance evaluations;
• Equity adjustments to salary, which are based on regional labor market conditions for specific job classifications and/ or based on salary compaction between a manager and subordinate staff; and
• Changes to other compensation and/or benefits in the total compensation package, such as deferred compensation or supplemental pays, based on negotiations, merit, or labor market justification.
For the three City officials appointed by City Council (City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Manager), the City Council conducts an annual evaluation and market study to determine appropriate compensation adjustments recommended for adoption at a Regular Meeting of the City Council.
Compensation for Council Appointees
September 23, 2025
Per Council Policy D-9, Council Appointee Communications and Performance Evaluation Process, the City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Manager received the annual COLAs consistent with the unrepresented miscellaneous department heads, which was 3% this fiscal year and effective the pay period including July 1, 2025.
Currently, Council appointees receive the following ongoing City contributions to their deferred compensation accounts:
City Attorney: 2% of base salary to a 457(b) plan
City Clerk: 1% of base salary to a 457(b) plan
City Manager: 4% of base salary to a 457(b) plan and a flat amount contribution of $ 8,704.80 annually to a 401(a) plan ( equivalent to 2% base salary indexed by the COLA and/or merit applied to the incumbent’s salary each year)
ANALYSIS
The 2025 Council appointee performance evaluation process included a review of their Fiscal Year 2024-25 accomplishments. All the Council appointees have provided important and valuable service to the City of Mountain View over the last year, and the Council is pleased with their performance.
Based on this review, the following ongoing compensation for the City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Manager is recommended:
City Attorney: 1% merit increase
An additional 1% of base salary as an ongoing City contribution to a 457(b) deferred compensation plan
City Clerk: 1% merit increase
An additional 1% of base salary as an ongoing City contribution to a 457(b) deferred compensation plan
City Manager: 1% merit increase
An additional 1% of base salary as an ongoing City contribution to a 457(b) deferred compensation plan
The merit adjustments and ongoing deferred compensation contributions for the City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Manager will be retroactive to the beginning of fiscal year 2025-26. This is in alignment with the timing of merit increases provided to other management and professional Compensation for Council Appointees
September 23, 2025
groups and reflective of the Council appointee evaluation process, which routinely takes place after the close of the fiscal year.
FISCAL IMPACT
The additional costs can be absorbed within the Fiscal Year 2025 -26 budgets of the three departments. No additional appropriation is required at this time.
LEVINE ACT
California Government Code Section 84308 (also known as the Levine Act) prohibits City officials from participating in any proceeding involving a “license, permit, or other entitlement for use” if the official has received a campaign contribution exceeding $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant within the last 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website: www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to- play-limits-and-prohibitions.html
Please see below for information about whether the recommended action for this agenda item is subject to or exempt from the Levine Act.
EXEMPT FROM THE LEVINE ACT
☒ General policy and legislative actions
ALTERNATIVES
Provide alternative direction to staff regarding compensation for Council appointees.
PUBLIC NOTICING – Agenda posting.
Prepared by:
Emily Ann Ramos
Vice Mayor
Attachments: 1. Resolution