Agenda Item #14.15
For Council Meeting of: January 9, 2024
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: TERESA STRICKER, CITY ATTORNEY
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
SUBJECT: INCREASING THE MAYOR’S MONTHLY SALARY BY $20, RETROACTIVE TO DECEMBER 14, 2022, TO CORRECT A CLERICAL ERROR IN ORDINANCE NO. ORD-2022-018 AGENDA ACTION: ORDINANCE INTRODUCTION
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that Council introduce an ordinance to increase the Mayor’s monthly salary from $2,200 to $2,220, retroactively to December 14, 2022, to correct an inadvertent clerical error in Ordinance No. ORD-2022-018, adopted on December 13, 2022, which set the Mayor’s salary below the amount required by the City Charter.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As a result of the adoption of Ordinance ORD-2-22-018, since December 14, 2022, Council Members have received a salary of $1,480 per month. In accordance with the City Charter, the Mayor’s salary must be set at 150% of Council Members’ salary, thus $2,220 per month. It was recently discovered that Ordinance ORD 2022-018 contained a typographical error, setting the Mayor’s monthly salary at $2,200 rather than $2,220. Adoption of a new ordinance is needed to bring the Mayor’s salary into compliance with the City Charter by increasing the Mayor’s monthly salary to $2,220 per month retroactive to December 14, 2022.
BACKGROUND
On December 6, 2022, Council introduced – and on December 13, 2022, the Council adopted – Ordinance ORD-2022-018, increasing Council Members’ salary to $1,480 per month and the Mayor’s salary to $2,200 per month, effective December 14, 2022.
It was recently discovered that Ordinance ORD-2022-018, contained a clerical error in setting the amount of the Mayor’s salary. Specifically, the ordinance set the Mayor’s salary at $2,200 per month, instead of $2,220 per month as described in both the staff report and presentation. As a result of this inadvertent error, the Mayor’s salary does not comply with City Charter requirement that the Mayor’s required a salary that is 150% of Council Members’ salary.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
Council introduced an ordinance on December 6, 2022, and on December 13, 2022, adopted Ordinance ORD-2022-018, increasing Council Members’ salaries to $1,480 per month and the Mayor’s salary to $2,200 per month (erroneously typed as $2,200 in the Ordinance rather than $2,220 as set forth in the staff report and presentation).
ANALYSIS
On December 13, 2022, Council adopted Ordinance ORD-2022-018 increasing Council Members’ salaries to $1,480 per month and the Mayor’s salary to $2,200 per month effective December 14, 2022.
Section 4 of the Santa Rosa City Charter provides that the Mayor’s salary must be set at 150% of Council Members’ salaries. Under that formula, when Council Member salaries were increased to $1.480 per month, the Mayor’s salary should have been increased to $2,220 per month as described in the staff report and presentation. The Ordinance, however, contained a typographical error setting the Mayor’s salary at $2,200 per month. This error was discovered recently.
As a result of the error, since December 14, 2022, the Mayor has been paid a salary that is $20 less per month than the amount required under the Charter. The proposed ordinance, if adopted, will correct this error by providing for a $20 per month salary increase for the Mayor, retroactive to December 14, 2022.
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact of this corrective action is an increase in the Mayor’s salary of $20 per month, retroactive to December 14, 2022.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The proposed action is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines Section 15378 (b)(4) and (b)(5) in that it involves governmental fiscal activities and/or administrative activities that will not result in any potentially significant direct or indirect physical impacts on the environment.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Ordinance ORD-2022-018
Ordinance
PRESENTER
Teresa Stricker, City Attorney
COUNCIL COMPENSATION
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