Administrative
Report
N.5., File # 22-4834 Meeting Date: 9/20/2022
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: DIANE STRICKFADEN, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES
TITLE
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON CONSIDERATION OF SALARY ADJUSTMENTS FOR
THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, CITY CLERK AND CITY TREASURER POSITIONS IN ADVANCE OF THE MARCH 2023 REGULAR ELECTION
PROVIDE DIRECTION REGARDING THE INTRODUCTION OF SALARY ADJUSTMENT ORDINANCE(S) AT THE OCTOBER 4, 2022 CITY COUNCIL MEETING
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 2005, the City Council adopted Resolution CC-0505-56 to establish a process for consideration of future pay and/or benefit adjustments for elected officials. The Resolution directs the Budget and Finance Commission to make recommendations to the City Council regarding elected official pay and potential adjustments, in advance of the filing period for a regular election. The 2023 regular municipal election will cover two City Council seats (District 3 and District 5), the City Clerk and the City Treasurer. The filing period for the March 2023 election will open on November 14, 2022.
Therefore, adjustments to salaries, if any, must be codified in an adopted ordinance no later than October 14, 2022.
The City Council last gave direction regarding the salaries for the Mayor and City Council, City Clerk and City Treasurer positions in 2018. At that time, the Council voted to keep the salaries for these positions at the same level. Four years prior, in 2014, the Council voted to reduce the City Treasurer’s salary and increase the City Clerk’s salary by ordinance. The 2014 City Clerk salary ordinance is attached for review.
The Budget and Finance Commission cancelled their regularly scheduled meeting on September 8, 2022 due to lack of a quorum so they were not able to provide input regarding salary adjustments in time for the posting of this agenda report. The Commission has scheduled a special meeting for September 19, 2022 to discuss the position salaries. The Commission’s input will be presented verbally to the City Council on September 20, 2022.
BACKGROUND
Mayor and City Council Positions: The compensation and benefits for the Mayor and City Councilmembers is specified in the Redondo Beach Municipal Code and established by the City Council via ordinance. The compensation was reviewed by the City Council in 2008, 2010, 2014 and 2018. The pay for the Mayor and City Councilmembers has not been increased since April 1, 2007.
The current compensation for both the Mayor and Councilmembers is $927.31 per month
N.5., File # 22-4834 Meeting Date: 9/20/2022
The current compensation for both the Mayor and Councilmembers is $927.31 per month ($11,127.72 per year). The Mayor and City Council also receive deferred compensation in the amount of 12% of their salary, and the same fringe benefits provided to Management and Confidential employees.
The City Charter requires that any changes to Mayor and City Council salaries must be made at least 30 days prior to the nomination period for a new four-year term.
Government Code Section 36516 lays out regulations for general law cities regarding how councilmember salaries may be adjusted. Also, the Redondo Beach City Charter states that such salaries shall be set by ordinance in conformance with the Government Code section. Section 36516 allows salaries to increase no more than 5% per year from the last increase. It should be noted that there is an Attorney General opinion stating that the 5% per year increase cap should not be compounded when determining allowable adjustments.
It has been 15 years since the last increase on April 1 2007, where the salary was established at $927.31 per month for the Mayor and Councilmember positions by Ordinances 2959-05 and 2960-05 respectively. Therefore, using the Government Code calculation, an increase not exceeding 80% (16 years times 5% per year) would be possible. An 80% increase would equate to $1,669.16 per month and if approved by Ordinance would be effective with the start of the new council terms in 2023.
Staff also conducted a salary survey for Councilmembers using the same survey cities previously negotiated with City bargaining units. Although some of the cities are outside of the immediate area, the cities were selected as similar due to their size and comparability to Redondo Beach. The results are included in the table below:
City Title Monthly Salary
Arcadia Councilmember $500
El Segundo Councilmember $900
Hermosa Beach Councilmember $848
Costa Mesa Councilmember $904
Culver City Councilmember $485
Downey Councilmember unknown
Fountain Valley Councilmember unknown
Glendale Councilmember $1,430
Hawthorne Councilmember $800
Manhattan Beach Councilmember $500
Rancho Palos Verdes Councilmember $400
Torrance Councilmember $100
Redondo Beach Councilmember $927
Median $650
The results indicate that the current salary for the Mayor and Councilmembers of Redondo Beach is above the median in comparison to the City’s survey cities.
Upon adoption of the FY 2022-23 budget, the City Council made a budget motion to appropriate
N.5., File # 22-4834 Meeting Date: 9/20/2022
Upon adoption of the FY 2022-23 budget, the City Council made a budget motion to appropriate “$12,500 for increasing D3 and D5 (Councilmember salaries) to LA County minimum wages; General fund.” Currently, the $927.31 per month stipend is equivalent to the California $15 per hour minimum wage based on approximately 62 hours per month (14 hours per week). The Government Code section max of $1,659.16 per month is equivalent to 111 hours per month (25 hours per week) at $15 per hour.
City Clerk: The compensation and benefits for the City Clerk was last set by the City Council, via Ordinance 3124-14, which was adopted in 2014. The ordinance established the City Clerk salary with yearly adjustments from 2015 through 2018. In 2018, the City Council reviewed the salary of the City Clerk position again, and voted to make no additional changes. The salary has been set at $10,558 per month since April 1, 2018.
The City Charter requires that any changes to the City Clerk’s salary must be made at least 30 days prior to the nomination period for a new four-year term. It cannot be increased or decreased from that point until the completion of a subsequent four-year term.
Staff conducted a brief salary survey for the City Clerk position, using survey cities that had previously been negotiated with City bargaining units. Although some of the cities are outside of the immediate area, the cities were selected as similar due to their size and comparability to Redondo Beach. Staff surveyed both full time and part time City Clerk positions, as follows:
City Title Appointed or
Elected
Part Time
or Full
Time
Monthly
Salary
Part Time City Clerks
Arcadia City Clerk Elected PT $500
El Segundo City Clerk Elected PT $2,375
Hawthorne City Clerk Elected PT $833
Full Time City Clerks
Hermosa Beach City Clerk Appointed FT $9,171
Costa Mesa City Clerk Appointed FT $13,743
Culver City City Clerk Appointed FT $14,878
Downey City Clerk Appointed FT $ 11,454.33
Fountain Valley City Clerk
Administrator
Appointed FT $ 11,541.47
Glendale City Clerk Appointed FT $10,000
Manhattan Beach City Clerk Appointed FT $18,231
Rancho Palos Verdes City Clerk Appointed FT $12,786
Torrance City Clerk Elected FT $10,509
Redondo Beach City Clerk Elected FT $10,558
Median for Full Time Clerks $10,558
Survey results indicate that the Redondo Beach City Clerk position ranks at the median for full time
N.5., File # 22-4834 Meeting Date: 9/20/2022
City Clerks in comparable cities.
The City Clerk oversees three full time employees and is responsible for stand-alone elections, records management, City Council, agency and commission agendas and minutes, administering the Commission appointment process, maintaining the City’s legislative history along with several other functions.
Per ordinance, the City Clerk position receives the same benefits as the Management and Confidential Employee Unit. No changes to these benefits are currently being proposed. Of note, the Management and Confidential unit received a 1% salary increase on January 1, 2022 and will receive a 2% salary increase on January 1, 2023, however the City Clerk position does not receive those increases.
City Treasurer: On June 3, 2014, at the recommendation of the City Treasurer, the City Council considered information regarding a compensation reduction for the City Treasurer position. The City Council ultimately voted to reduce the salary of the City Treasurer from $9,746 per month ($116,952 annually) to $2,083.33 per month ($25,000 annually), and the salary remains the same in 2022. This vote took place after the Budget and Finance Commission recommended no change to the salary.
During that timeframe, voters approved Measure CT, which was an amendment to the City Charter that removed the full-time status of the City Treasurer position and made it part time.
The elected City Treasurer oversees one full time Chief Deputy City Treasurer. The elected City Treasurer receives the same benefits as the Management and Confidential Unit. Any change to the position’s existing compensation would have to follow the same process as that for the City Clerk, which is outlined in the City Charter and must be completed before the opening of the nomination period for the upcoming election.
Next Steps
The Budget and Finance Commission will discuss the item on September 19. The Commission’s input will be provided verbally to the City Council on September 20. Staff is seeking direction from the City Council regarding the preparation of ordinances that would adjust the salaries for the above positions. After receiving direction, the ordinances would be prepared and presented to the City Council on October 4, 2022 for first reading and introduction. Adoption of the ordinances would be considered on October 11, 2022.
COORDINATION
The Human Resources Department coordinated this report with the Finance Department.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost of adjustments will depend upon final Council approval. $12,500 was appropriated in the budget for salary adjustment costs in Fiscal Year 2022-23. As reference, a 1% increase for the respective positions would be as follows:
· Mayor/Councilmember: $880.26/year per position (roughly $73 per month)
N.5., File # 22-4834 Meeting Date: 9/20/2022
· City Clerk: $2,721.82/year (roughly $227 per month)
· City Treasurer: $319.70/year (roughly $27 per month)
Any compensation changes would be included in future operating budgets.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
· Government Code Section 36516
· Ord - #2959-05 Salary and Benefits of the Mayor
· Ord - #2960-05 Salary and Benefits of the City Council · Ord - #3124-14 Salary and Benefits of the City Clerk
· Ord - #3123-14 Salary and Benefits of the City Treasurer · Reso - #0505-56 Pay and Benefit Adjustments for Elected Officials · City Charter Section 6.2 - Compensation
· City Charter Section 11 - City Clerk Duties
· City Charter Section 11.1 - City Treasurer Duties