Finance & Management Committee
December 9, 2025
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Mary Hao
City Administrator HRM Director
SUBJECT: Amendment to Ordinance No. 12187
C.M.S. (The Salary Ordinance) for
Various Classifications, Exemptions,
and Minimum Wage Increase
DATE: November 10, 2025
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt The Following Pieces Of Legislation:
1) A Resolution Recommending To The Civil Service Board The Exemption Of The Classification Of Payroll Administrator From The Operation Of Civil Service; And
2) A Resolution Recommending To The Civil Service Board The Exemption Of The Classification Of Procurement And Contracts Administrator From The Operation Of Civil Service; And
3) An Ordinance Amending The Salary Schedule Of Ordinance No. 12187 C.M.S. (“Salary Ordinance”) To:
(a) Add The Full-Time Classification Of Payroll Administrator; And
(b) Add The Full-Time Classification Of Procurement And Contracts Administrator; And
(c) Amend The Salary Of The Full-Time Classification Of Park Equipment Operator; And
(d) Amend The Salary Of The Part-Time Classification Of Senior Aide, PT To Ensure Compliance With The City Of Oakland’s Minimum Wage Ordinance.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Adoption of the proposed resolutions will ensure that the City is able to appoint appropriate candidates to two critical division head positions. This action is in accordance with Oakland City Charter Section 902(f) to seek exemption of the classifications of Payroll Administrator and Jestin Johnson (Nov 18, 2025 18:24:56 PST)
11/18/2025
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Amendment to Ordinance No. 12187 C.M.S. (The Salary Ordinance) for Various Classifications, Exemptions, and Minimum Wage Increase
Date: November 10, 2025 Page 2
Finance & Management Committee
December 9, 2025
Procurement and Contracts Administrator from the operation of the competitive civil service.
These “at-will” positions are budgeted in the Finance Department.
Adoption of the proposed ordinance will ensure the accuracy of the City’s classification plan and Salary Schedule. This ordinance includes a variety of routine actions to approve the creation of new classifications and modifications to existing classifications that have already been approved by the Civil Service Board. Further, approval of this ordinance will ensure that pay rates for City classifications are in alignment with the City of Oakland’s Minimum Wage Ordinance. The proposed items are related to classifications that are allocated in the following departments: the Finance Department, Oakland Public Works (OPW) Department, and Human Services Department (HSD).
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The Salary Ordinance (Ordinance No. 12187 C.M.S.) establishes salaries as well as other terms and conditions of City employment, including the classification titles and bargaining unit designation of positions. The Ordinance is amended periodically to accommodate the City’s evolving classification needs. Pursuant to the Personnel Manual (Civil Service Rules), Section
3.04, components of the City’s Classification Plan shall be administered and maintained by the Personnel Director with the approval of the Civil Service Board.
As applicable regulations or departmental operations change, staff in the Human Resources Management (HRM) Department consults with departments regarding classification needs.
These changes require HRM to amend the Salary Ordinance to add, amend, or delete certain classifications. The proposed Salary Ordinance Amendment accompanying this report is comprised of various routine actions to update the salary schedule.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
As stated above, the proposed action is recommended to update the Salary Schedule of the Salary Ordinance to align it with other actions that have taken place. In cases in which union involvement was required, the appropriate notification and/or discussions occurred with the applicable unions regarding bargaining unit modifications.
Citywide Priorities include: (1) holistic community safety, (2) housing, economic, and cultural security, (3) vibrant, sustainable infrastructure, and (4) responsive, trustworthy government. The work of the Human Resources Management (HRM) Department indirectly affects responsive, trustworthy government transparency efforts through the creation of new classifications in support of payroll and contracting and purchasing operations. Adoption of the proposed ordinance helps to advance Citywide Priorities.
New Full-Time Classifications – There are two (2) classifications in the Finance Department that are being proposed as amendments to the City’s Classification Plan:
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Amendment to Ordinance No. 12187 C.M.S. (The Salary Ordinance) for Various Classifications, Exemptions, and Minimum Wage Increase
Date: November 10, 2025 Page 3
Finance & Management Committee
December 9, 2025
(1) Payroll Administrator – The Finance Department is restructuring payroll operations. There are efforts underway to centralize payroll support staff, which will change how payroll functions are carried out. Further, there have been recent audit findings that revealed necessary changes to ensure optimum efficiency, accuracy, and compliance with all relevant regulations, policies, and procedures. There is a critical need to establish a division head Administrator position to oversee the changes. The Payroll Administrator will be responsible for: planning, organizing, managing, and directing active and retirement payroll, retirement taxes, Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) operations, and departmental payroll/on-boarding for the entire City; overseeing the staff who prepare, document, and disburse payroll checks, taxes, and payroll deductions; monitoring and ensuring compliance with regulations governing payroll and retirement activities; coordinating payroll systems development and maintenance; maintaining accurate reporting of federal, state, and related payroll taxes, payments, and retirement information; and supervising, training, and evaluating staff. This classification will be unrepresented and not covered by any bargaining group. The new classification specification is tentatively scheduled for Civil Service Board approval at the January 15, 2026, Meeting. (2) Procurement and Contracts Administrator – The Finance Department is restructuring procurement and contracting operations. Efforts to centralize contracting staff from another department have already been implemented, and this has changed how contracting functions are carried out. Further, there have been recent audit findings that revealed necessary changes to ensure optimum, efficiency, accuracy, and compliance with all relevant regulations, policies, and procedures. There is a critical need to establish a division head Administrator position to oversee the changes. The Procurement and Contracts Administrator will be responsible for:
planning, organizing, managing, and directing the work of staff in purchasing and contract administration; overseeing the procurement of materials, supplies, services, and professional services for City departments; ensuring participation among the local business community in City procurements; ensuring compliance of contract and grant agreements with all relevant policies and procedures; and supervising, training, and evaluating staff. This classification will be unrepresented and not covered by any bargaining group. The new classification specification is tentatively scheduled for Civil Service Board approval at the January 15, 2026, Meeting.
Salary Adjustment –Park Equipment Operator – One classification in OPW requires a salary adjustment due to changes in the commercial driver’s license requirement for the classification.
Park Equipment Operators are responsible for operating and towing park maintenance equipment. Historically, the license requirement was a Class B; however, the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of their equipment has changed, and the performance of duties will require possession of a Class A license to ensure compliance with Department of Motor Vehicles regulations. The proposed salary change would align the Park Equipment Operator rate with the Heavy Equipment Operator rate, and both require the Class A commercial driver’s license due to the operations that are performed on the job. Discussions regarding the change to the commercial driver’s license requirement and proposed revisions to the classification specification began in May 2024. Meetings occurred until October 2024, which is when union staffing changes occurred. Further, the City was involved with reduction-in-force activities until March 2025 and contract negotiations from April to August 2025. Discussions between the City and the union resumed in April 2025. A meeting occurred on April 11, 2025, in which City and union representatives reached an agreement about the proposed changes to the job description. Discussions regarding the salary adjustment concluded in August 2025 when a side Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Amendment to Ordinance No. 12187 C.M.S. (The Salary Ordinance) for Various Classifications, Exemptions, and Minimum Wage Increase
Date: November 10, 2025 Page 4
Finance & Management Committee
December 9, 2025
letter was signed to memorialize the changes. The revised classification specification was scheduled for approval at the November 6, 2025, Special Civil Service Board Meeting.
Minimum Wage Salary Adjustment – On November 4, 2014, the voters approved Oakland Measure FF, which raised the minimum wage in Oakland to twelve dollars and twenty -five cents ($12.25), effective March 2, 2015. Measure FF also included a requirement that the Oakland minimum wage be adjusted annually on the first of January in accordance with the an nual Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) for urban wage earners and clerical workers for the San Francisco- Oakland-San Jose, CA metropolitan statistical area, consistent with Section 5.92 of the City of Oakland Municipal Code (“OMC”). Adjustments to Oakland’s minimum wage rate are only allowed when there is an increase in the CPI. The City of Oakland’s pay structure for all positions must comply with the new wage rates as of January 1st each calendar year. The ra te increased by $0.45 per hour for calendar year 2026, which resulted in a new wage rate of $17.34 per hour.
HRM staff conduct the annual analysis of the Salary Schedule for all City of Oakland classifications. It was determined that one classification required an adjustment to the wage rate to be at or above the new minimum wage standard pursuant to Measure FF and the OMC as of January 1, 2026. The hourly salary rate of the Senior Aide, PT classification in HSD will be increased to match this new rate to ensure compliance.
FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of the proposed Salary Ordinance Amendment adding the new classifications will not automatically add the positions to the Finance Department. The new classifications will require the Department to work with their Budget Bureau to convert placeholder classifications and submit Add/Delete requests during FY 2025-26. This is a cost neutral classification conversion, no additional funding is required.
The increase in salary for the Park Equipment Operator classification will cost the City an additional $110,138 in Fund 2244 (OPR Preservation, Litter Reduction, Homelessness Support Act Measure Q).
The slight increase in salary for the Senior Aide, PT classification will cost the city an additional $7,972 in Fund 1010 (General Purpose Fund) and will be reconciled as part of mid-year budget adjustments for FY 2025-26.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
No public outreach was deemed necessary other than the required posting on the City’s website.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Amendment to Ordinance No. 12187 C.M.S. (The Salary Ordinance) for Various Classifications, Exemptions, and Minimum Wage Increase
Date: November 10, 2025 Page 5
Finance & Management Committee
December 9, 2025
COORDINATION
Human Resources Management coordinated with each of the departments regarding the proposed modifications. When necessary, Employee Relations was also involved.
Representative unions were formally notified of the proposed legislation, as applicable, because some of the related actions are mandatory subjects of bargaining. Discussions took place, and any objections relating to potential impacts as raised by the representative unions, as applicable, were fully vetted.
Public notices regarding the Civil Service Board actions to approve classification specifications are posted pursuant to the provisions of the California Brown Act and City of Oakland Sunshine Ordinance.
Additionally, the preparation of this report was coordinated with HRM, the City Attorney’s Office, and the Finance Department Budget Bureau.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: There are no economic opportunities associated with this report.
Environmental: There are no environmental opportunities associated with this report.
Race & Equity: There are no social equity opportunities associated with this report.