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CITY OF TWENTYNINE PALMS
CITY COUNCIL
ORDINANCE NO. ___
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING AN
INCREASE IN COMPENSATION FOR MEMBERS OF THE
CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE EFFECT AFTER THE NOVEMBER
2026 MUNICIPAL ELECTION AND AMENDING TWENTYNINE
PALMS MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 2.04.020
ACCORDINGLY.
WHEREAS, Government Code section 36516 allows City Council member salaries to be set by enactment of or amendment to an ordinance; and WHEREAS, Section 2.04.020 of the Twentynine Palms Municipal Code provides that compensation of each City Council member shall be Four Hundred Sixty-Five Dollars ($465.00) per month; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 329 approved by the Governor of the State of California on June 29, 2023, and filed with the Secretary of State on June 29, 2023, amended Government Code section 36516 to provide options for setting the base salary for City Council members; and
WHEREAS, the population of the City of Twentynine Palms, as measured in the 2020 federal census, is fewer than 35,000 people; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Government Code section 36516(a)(2)(A), an option for setting the base salary for City Council members in cities with a population up to and including 35,000 people is to set the compensation at a flat rate of up to Nine Hundred Fifty Dollars ($950.00) per month; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that while the Council’s salary could be set at $950.00 per month, various factors including a desire to be fiscal responsible make it prudent to set the Council’s salary at an amount less than the maximum permitted by Section pursuant to Government Code section 36516(a)(2)(A), and specifically a flat rate of Seven Hundred Dollars ($700.00) per month; and
WHEREAS, setting compensation levels at Seven Hundred Dollars ($700.00) per month for Twentynine Palms City Council members would likely have beneficial impacts, including attracting a broader pool of potential council candidates and properly compensating existing council members for their service; and WHEREAS, under Government Code section 36516(f), “[a] city council member may waive any or all of the compensation permitted by this section”; and
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WHEREAS, to assure that members of the Twentynine Palms City Council are compensated in a manner that is consistent with California law and allowed the benefit of legally permitted compensation, an ordinance implementing such an increase in compensation must be adopted.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA, HEREBY ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The above recitals are true and correct, are incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full and hereby constitute findings and determinations of the City Council of the City of Twentynine Palms demonstrating the need for increased compensation.
Section 2. Effective upon commencement of the term of office beginning after the municipal election to be held in November of 2026, the base salary compensation payable to all Twentynine Palms City Council members is increased to Seven Hundred Dollars ($700.00) per month.
Section 3. Effective upon commencement of the term of office beginning after the municipal election to be held in November of 2026, Twentynine Palms Municipal Code Section 2.04.020 shall be replaced and amended in its entirety to state: “The compensation of each City Council member shall be Seven Hundred Dollars ($700.00) per month.
Section 4. Consistent with Government Code section 36516(f), any Twentynine Palms City Council member may waive all or any of the compensation permitted by this Ordinance.
Section 5. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance, and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional, without regard to whether any portion of this Ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.
Section 6. This Ordinance shall take full force and effect upon the commencement of the term of office beginning after the municipal election to be held in November of 2026.
Section 7. The City Clerk of the City of Twentynine Palms shall certify to the adoption of this Ordinance and cause publication to occur as required by law.
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PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Twentynine Palms held on this ___ day of ________, 2026. ____________________________
Daniel L. Mintz Sr.
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
Cindy Villescas, CMC
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________________
A. Patrick Muñoz
City Attorney
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of Ordinance No. ___, introduced on the 26th of May, 2026 and duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Twentynine Palms in a meeting held on the ___ day of _____, 2026, in Twentynine Palms, California, by the following vote, to wit.
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
___________________________________
Cindy Villescas, CMC
City Clerk