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R
EVISION:
Attached is a revised staff report and attachment for item H1 on City Manager’s Staff Report highlighting a change in the City Manager’s contract amendment to reflect. The Employee’s salary pay range shall be set to a minimum of $28,441.22 per month and a maximum of $38,395.65 per month
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the attached amended and restated City Manager’s contract.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Revised Staff Report
Attachment 2 – Revised Attachment 1- Amended and Restated Employment Agreement /DATE: September 16, 2026
TO: Elisa C. Cox, City Manager
FROM: Julie Sowles, Deputy City Manager
Robert Neiuber, Human Resources Director
BY: Emily Nielsen, Deputy Director of Human Resources
SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION TO APPROVE THE CITY MANAGER’S AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT. (CITY)
MEMORANDUM
Human Services Department
Corrected Staff Report Memo: 9/16/2026 Item H1. City Manager’s Staff Report DATE: September 16, 2026
TO: M
ayor and Members of the City Council
FR
OM: Elisa C. Cox, City Manager
IN
ITIATED BY: Julie Sowles, Deputy City Manager
Robert Neiuber, Human Resources Director
Emily Nielsen, Deputy Director of Human Resources
SUBJ
ECT: CONSIDERATION TO APPROVE THE CITY MANAGER’S AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT. (CITY)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the attached amended and restated employment agreement between the City Council of the City of Rancho Cucamonga and the City Manager, Elisa C. Cox.
BACKGROUND:
On August 20, 2025, the City Council approved an employment contract with Elisa C. Cox to serve as City Manager with an effective date of December 1, 2025. That agreement provides for performance reviews with consideration for annual merit salary increases.
AN
ALYSIS:
City Council members recently completed their performance evaluation of Elisa C. Cox. Based on the overall performance rating from that evaluation, the City Council directed staff to negotiate a contract amendment to reflect a merit increase in her performance. The proposed contract amendment would provide a five percent (5%) merit increase. The merit increase is consistent with the personnel rules.
The amend
ment would also include the following:
• Setting the salary pay range for the City Manager position to a minimum of $28,441.22 per month and a maximum of $38,395.65 per month. This effects the range only and not the pay.
• Increasing the City’s 401(a) contribution from 5% to 9% more than the highest amount provided to any other Executive Management employee.
• Decreasing the City’s 457(b) plan contribution from 5% to 2% more than the highest amount provided to any other Executive Management employee.
The eff
ective date of the above amendments would be September 20, 2026. This amendment incorporates those changes and restates the original contract.
Whi
le the City Manager is not a member of the Executive Management bargaining group, the salary range is typically included on the Executive Management salary schedule. Accordingly, the City Manager’s updated salary range per this amended agreement will be incorporated into the Executive Management salary schedule.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the attached amended and restated City Manager’s contract.
FI
SCAL IMPACT:
The changes to the contract will result in an annual increase of $15,838 for FY 2026-2027.
COUNCI
L MISSION / VISION / GOAL(S) ADDRESSED:
Approving this amendment to the City Manager’s contract provides the ongoing leadership necessary to forward the Mission, Vision, Core Values, and Goals of the City Council.
ATT
ACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Amended and Restated Employment Agreement AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA AND ELISA C. COX
T
his Amendment to Employment Agreement ( “Amendment”) is made and entered into and shall be effective as of September 16, 2026 (“Effective Date”), by and between the City of Rancho Cucamonga, a California municipal corporation (“City” or “Employer”), and Elisa C. Cox, an individual (“Employee”), referred to collectively as “Parties.” RE
CITALS
A. The City entered into a City Manager Employment Agreement (“Agreement”) with Employee on December 1, 2025.
B. Pursuant to Sections 5 and 9 of the Agreement, the City Council has conducted an annual review of Employee who has shown exemplary performance.
C. To recognize outstanding job performance, the City now wishes to amend the Agreement by updating the salary and benefits of Employee.
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the mutual covenants and conditions herein contained, the City and Employee agree as follows:
1. S
ection 5(A), is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
“A
. The City shall pay Employee for the performance of Employee’s duties as City Manager under this Agreement, a monthly salary of $28,592.46. The Employee’s salary pay range shall be set to a minimum of $28,441.22 per month and a maximum of $38,395.65 per month.
2. Section 6(A), is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
“A. Deferred Compensation - City shall contribute 9% more than the highest amount provided to any other Executive Management employee into the employee’s 401(a) plan.”
3. Section 6(B) is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
“B. City shall contribute 2% more than the highest amount provided to any other Executive Management employee into Employee’s 457 plan.”
4. Except as specifically amended herein, all other terms and conditions of the Agreement between the City and the Employee remain in full force and effect.
I
N WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this A mendment to be signed and executed personally or on its behalf by its duly authorized representative.
ATTACHMENT 1
This Amendment is entered into this 16th day of September 2026.
EMPLOYEE
E LISA C. COX
CITY MANAGER
EM
PLOYER
M AYOR, L. DENNIS MICHAEL
CITY OF RANCHO
CUCAMONGA
A
TTEST:
(
Seal)
KIM SEVY
CITY CLERK
APPR
OVED AS TO FORM:
___
___________________
NICHOLAS GHIRELLI
CITY ATTORNEY