Human Resources Department
www.santa-ana.org/humanresources
Item # 25
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
May 5, 2026
TOPIC: City Council Performance Evaluations for City Clerk, City Manager, and City Attorney; Amendments to Employment Agreements; Resolutions to Reflect Salary Adjustments and Bonus Payments
AGENDA TITLE
Consideration of the Positive Performance Evaluations for City Clerk, City Manager, and City Attorney, and Related Salary Adjustments, Contract Extension, Bonus Payments for Designated City Attorney Office Confidential Employees, and Compliance with the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) and Title 2 of the California Code of Regulations Section 570.5
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
1. Adopt a resolution reflecting the positive City Clerk, City Manager, and City Attorney performance evaluations conducted on April 21, 2026 and approving an adjusted annual salary for the City Clerk and a three-year extension to the term for the City Manager, and
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-XXX entitled A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA AFFIRMING POSITIVE PERFORMANCE
EVALUATIONS FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY, CITY CLERK, AND CITY MANAGER; APPROVING A SALARY ADJUSTMENT FOR THE CITY CLERK;
AND APPROVING AN AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT FOR THE CITY MANAGER THROUGH 2030
2. Approve amendment to City Clerk employment agreement to reflect adjusted annual salary in the amount of $215,004 (Agreement No. A-2026-XXX), and
3. Approve an amended and restated employment agreement with the City Manager (Agreement No. A-2026-XXX), and
4. Adopt a resolution to amend Resolution No. 2021-026 creating a new classification to the unrepresented confidential middle management and approve special assignment pay for confidential employees in the City Attorney’s Office; and
Report of Settlements
May 5, 2026
5 7
5 1
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-XXX entitled A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA TO EFFECT CERTAIN CHANGES TO THE CITY’S CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION PLAN TO AMEND
RESOLUTION NO. 2021-026 TO CREATE A NEW CLASSIFICATION AND TO
PROVIDE SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT PAY FOR SPECIFIED CONFIDENTIAL EMPLOYEES IN THE CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
5. Adopt a resolution updating the City’s Classification and Compensation Plan with the amended annual salary for City Clerk, and approving the Council Appointee Salary Schedule in compliance with the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) and Title 2 of the California Code of Regulations section 570.5 including documentation of the annual salary for the previous Acting City Clerk.
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-XXX entitled A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA TO EFFECT CERTAIN CHANGES TO THE CITY’S CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION PLAN AND RECOGNITION
OF SALARY FOR THE PREVIOUS ACTING CITY CLERK
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No
DISCUSSION
The City Council conducted annual evaluations on April 21, 2026 of its appointees, the City Clerk, the City Manager, and the City Attorney, in accordance with the City Charter.
The City Clerk received a positive performance evaluation and negotiated a salary adjustment. It is recommended that the City Clerk’s annual salary be adjusted to $215,004 effective April 21, 2026.
The City Manager received a positive performance evaluation and negotiated a three- year contract extension through August 5, 2030.
The City Attorney received a positive performance evaluation and requests authority to provide special assignment pay to confidential employees in the City Attorney’s Office for duties above and beyond the normal scope of their work.
The first proposed resolution affirms the positive performance evaluations and approves an adjusted City Clerk annual salary, an amended and restated employment agreement for the City Manager, and authorizes special assignment pay for specified, confidential employees in the City Attorney’s Office (Exhibit 1). Also included is an amendment to the City Clerk’s employment agreement to reflect the annual salary adjustment (Exhibit 2) and an amended and restated employment agreement with the City Manager to reflect a three-year contract extension (Exhibit 3). The second resolution is to amend the Classification and Compensation Plan to create a new classification to the unrepresented confidential middle management and provide special assignment pay to specified, Report of Settlements
May 5, 2026
5 7
5 1
confidential employees in the City Attorney’s Office (Exhibit 4). The third resolution is to amend the City’s Classification and Compensation Plan and approve the Council Appointee Salary Schedule to reflect the aforementioned City Clerk salary adjustment (Exhibit 5). Additionally, staff has determined a need to document prior salary information for the Acting City Clerk, effective September 1, 2022 through February 26, 2023, which is included in this resolution regarding the City Clerk to meet CalPERS requirements.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
There are no environmental impacts associated with these actions.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of these actions will result in an annual total contribution of approximately $4,350 in Fiscal Year 2025-26. There are sufficient funds in the City Clerk’s Office budget (account 01107031-61XXX) to cover the increased costs in the current fiscal year. The estimated total General Fund fiscal impact for FY2026-27 is $22,621, with funding to be included in the proposed budget for City Council consideration.
EXHIBIT(S)
1. Resolution affirming positive performance evaluations for Council appointees and approving an annual salary adjustment for the City Clerk, contract extension for the City Manager, and special assignment pay to confidential employees in the City Attorney’s Office
2. Amendment to City Clerk Employment Agreement
3. Amended and Restated Employment Agreement with the City Manager
4. Resolution Changing Classification and Compensation Plan to Amend Resolution No. 2021-026 Confidential Classifications
5. Resolution Changing Classification and Compensation Plan (City Clerk) Submitted By: Lori Schnaider, Executive Director of Human Resources Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager