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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 4b - Updated Compensation Amounts for Compairison Cities and Compensation Methods Council Compensation Committee Agenda Report For Agenda of: 9/30/2025 Item Number: 4b. Estimated Time: 30 Minutes FROM: Greg Hermann, Deputy City Manager Prepared By: Teresa Purrington, City Clerk SUBJECT: UPDATED COMPENSATION AMOUNTS FOR COMPARISON CITIES AND COMPENSATION METHODOLOGIES RECOMMENDATION Receive a report on the updated compensation amounts for Mayor and City Council Members at comparison cities and the different compensation methodologies used. DISCUSSION Listed below are the updated compensation amounts and formulas from the benchmark cities and the additional cities that were surveyed in 2020. COMPARISON CITIES City of Chico – Charter City Mayor - $2,280 per month Council Member - $1,920 per month A City Charter Amendment passed in 2004, requires the City of Chico to go by State law1 governing General Law cities regarding Council Member compensation. City of Davis - General Law City Mayor - $1,366 per month Council Member - $1,366 per month The City Municipal Code states: § 2.01.110 Compensation of councilmembers. (a) As provided in Section 36516 of the Government Code, each member of the city council shall receive a salary. (b) Pursuant to the provisions of Government Code Section 36516(a)(4), the 1 GC 36516 Establishes the base amount of compensation for members of City Council based on population for General Law cities. Page 16 of 23 Item 4b. compensation of each member of the city council shall be increased to a monthly salary of one thousand three hundred sixty-six dollars. This increase in compensation shall be effective at the beginning of the term of office of the councilmembers elected at the general municipal election of June 2018. City of Monterey - Charter City Mayor - $1,562.79 per month Council member - $1,064.20 per month Municial Code amended in June 2025 to state: a. Compensation. Effective January 1, 2027, compensation for the Mayor and City Councilmembers shall be as follows: 1. Compensation for the Mayor is hereby established in the sum of $1,562.79 per month. 2. Compensation for City Councilmembers is hereby established in the sum of $1,064.20 per month. 3.The compensation set forth in subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section is exclusive of any amount paid by the City for retirement and health benefits under subsection (b) of this section; provided, that the same benefits are available and paid by the City for its employees. 4.This section does not and shall not provide for automatic future increases in compensation. b. Benefits. The Mayor and City Councilmembers may, by individual election and subject to the rules and regulations of the provider, receive any non -cash benefit granted by resolution to non-sworn members of the Monterey Executive Management Employee’s Association. “Non-cash benefits” include those that are not limited to retirement and health insurance where the City pays the provider directly. Cash or cash-in-lieu payments to the Mayor or to a Councilmember are not authorized. (Ord. 3703 § 3, 2025; Ord. 3668 § 3, 2023) City of Napa – Charter City Mayor - $2,870 per month Council Member - $1,435 per month The City Municipal Code states: A. Pursuant to City Charter section 15, members of City Council, including the Mayor, shall receive compensation in the form of: (1) salary, (2) retirement, health and welfare benefits, and (3) reimbursement for expenses. B. Salary. The City shall pay salary to each member of City Council in the amount of One Page 17 of 23 Item 4b. Thousand Three Hundred Sixty Seven Dollars ($1,367) per month; provided, however, that after the date on which any member of Council begins a new term of office following the November 2018 General Municipal Election, the City shall pay salary to each member of City Council in the amount of One Thousand Four Hundred Thirty Five Dollars ($1,435) per month. Provided, further, that the City shall pay salary to the Mayor, pursuant to California Government Code section 36516.1 and Napa Municipal Code Section 2.04.111, in the amount of Two Thousand Seven Hundred Thirty Four Dollars ($2,734) per month; provided, however, that after the date on which any member of Council begins a new term of office following the November 2018 General Mun icipal Election, the City shall pay salary to the Mayor in the amount of Two Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy Dollars ($2,870) per month. C. Retirement, Health, and Welfare. The city shall pay each member of City Council retirement, health, and welfare benefits in an amount to be established by resolution of the City Council, not to exceed the amount of benefits available to city employees appointed by City Council. D. Reimbursement for Expenses. The city shall pay each member of City Council reimbursements for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties, in amounts to be established by resolution of the City Council City of Paso Robles – General Law City The City of Paso Robles Human Resources webpage states effective January, 2025: Annual Stipend Auto Allowance Average Annual Health Benefit Total Annual Compensation Mayor $18,480 3,000 13,710 35,190 Council Member $13,860 3,000 13,710 30,570 Note 1:"Salary" may be established by voter approval up to a maximum amount as provided in the Government Code (ref. Section 36516). Note 2: "Benefits", such as "health care" are authorized by the California Government Code Sections 53200-53210 and Section 36516(e). Benefits include medical, dental, vision, and access to the employee assistance program (EAP). Note 3: Normal and customary travel and business expenses are covered/reimbursed per Council Policies and Procedures Travel Policy and Procedures and City of Paso Robles Charter says 2.40.030 - Salary—Amounts. Each officer hereinafter specified shall receive, as salary or compensation for the duties of the office held by him, the following: Page 18 of 23 Item 4b. A. Each officer hereinafter specified shall receive, as salary or compensation for the duties of the office or position held by that person in an amount as established by resolution of the city council from time to time: the elected city clerk, the elected city treasurer, and all appointive city officers and employees. B. City councilmembers shall receive one thousand one hundred fifty-five dollars per month and the mayor shall receive one thousand five hundred forty dollars per month or as otherwise established pursuant to the processes provided in the California Government Code. City of Santa Barbara - Charter City Mayor - $79,310 annually Council Member - $63,374 annually The City of Santa Barbara Charter states: Beginning July 1, 2005, the members of the City Council, except the Mayor, shall receive an annual salary in the sum equal to 80% of the annual Area Median Income and the Mayor shall receive an annual salary equal to 100% of the Area Median Income. In addition, the Mayor and each member of the City Council shall receive reimbursement on order of the City Council for Council authorized traveling and other expenses when on official duty upon submission of an itemized expense account therefor, or may receive an advance for such purposes subject to such accounting. In addition, members shall receive such uniform, reasonable and adequate amount as may be established by ordinance, which amount shall be deemed to be reimbursement to them of other routine and ordinary expenses and costs imposed upon them by virtue of their serving as City Councilmen, including the Mayor. The term "Area Median Income" shall refer to the annual Area Median Income for a one - person household within Santa Barbara County as determined and set by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development or, if the Housing and Urban Development Area Median Income determination is not available for any reason, by a comparable index published by the state of California. The Mayor and City Council member salaries shall also be adjusted each year as of the first day of April based on changes in the Area Median Income. City of Santa Cruz – Charter City Mayor - $3,426.68 per month Council Members - $1,710.35 per month The City Municipal Code states: Pursuant to Santa Cruz City Charter Section 603, effective as of January 1, 2010, each councilmember shall receive a salary of one thousand seven hundred ten dollars and Page 19 of 23 Item 4b. thirty-five cents per month, and the mayor shall receive a salary of three thousand four hundred twenty dollars and sixty-eight cents per month. City of Santa Maria – Charter City Mayor - $1,956.99 per month Council Member - $1,706.99 per month The Municipal Code states: Section 2-2.02 Salaries designated. Each member of the Council and the Mayor shall receive, exclusive of any money paid as reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official City duties, as salary, the sum of $1,706.90 per month. The increased salaries shall become payable on December 31, 2022. Section 2-2.03 Mayor's salary. The Mayor shall receive in addition to the salary set forth in Section 2-2.02 of this chapter, exclusive of any money paid as reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official City duties, the sum of $250 per month. This salary shall become payable only on and after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter. City of Ventura – Charter City Mayor - $8,400 annually Council member - $7,200 annually The City of Ventura Charter states: City Councilmembers shall receive a maximum of $600.00 per month. In addition thereto, the Mayor or other Councilmember acting as Mayor for 30 days or more shall receive a maximum of $100.00 additional per month. The Council may provide in the Administrative Code for reductions to such amounts by reason of absences from meetings. Each member of the Council shall receive reimbursement for Council authorized traveling and other expenses when on official duty. Upon the recommendation of the Manager, the compensation for all appointive officers and employees of the City, except officials and members of the boards, commissions and committees serving gratuitously, shall be fixed or changed by ordinance. The compensation of the City Manager and the City Attorney shall be decided by the Council. No officer or employee shall be allowed any fee, perquisite, emolument or stipend in addition to, or save as embraced in, the salary or compensation fixed for such office by the Council, and all fees received by such officer or employee in connection with official City duties shall be paid forthwith into the City Treasury. Page 20 of 23 Item 4b. COMPENSATION METHODOLOGIES FOR CITIES SURVEYED IN 2020 City of Goleta – General Law City In accordance with Section 36516(b) of the Government Code of the State of California, the salary for the Mayor shall be 90% of the nonfamily household median income for the City of Goleta as published annually by the United States Census Bureau and the salary for each member of the City Council shall be 75% of the nonfamily household median income for the City of Goleta as published annually by the United States Census Bureau. The foregoing salaries will be adjusted annually to conform to the median income amounts published by the United States Census Bureau. City of Mountain View – Charter City Each member of the city council shall receive as salary, each month, that sum which has been established by the electorate as of November 4, 2014, as the baseline salary amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per month with automatic annual adjustments based on the lesser of the San Francisco Bay Area Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners or the average cost-of-living adjustment granted to the miscellaneous city employee bargaining groups and not to exceed five percent (5%) per year. The mayor shall receive as salary, each month, tha t amount as calculated for a councilmember above, plus an additional twenty-five percent (25%) of said sum. Any amounts paid to a councilmember for retirement, health and welfare, and federal Social Security benefits shall not be included for purposes of determining salary pursuant to this section provided the same benefits are available and paid by the city for its employees. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the city council shall have no power to increase its salary by ordinance, resolution or motion. If a member of the city council, or mayor, does not attend all regular meetings of the city council called on order of the city council and held during the month, that person's salary for such month shall be reduced by the sum of twenty-five dollars ($25) for each regular meeting not attended unless that person is absent with the consent of the mayor or for official city business. City of Berkeley – Charter City The Mayor shall receive remuneration for the performance of their official duties at the Alameda County median income for a three-person household and Councilmembers at 63% of that amount, with annual adjustments based on adjustments to the area median income. If the City and employee organizations agree to amend the compensation provisions of existing memoranda of understanding to reduce costs, the Personnel Board shall review and amend the Mayor and Councilmembers' salary as necessary to achieve comparable cost savings in the affected fiscal year or years. Either the Mayor or any Councilmember may, a t their sole discretion, reduce the remuneration paid themselves. In any such case, the difference between the reduced Page 21 of 23 Item 4b. amount actually paid to such Mayor or Councilmember and the amount of remuneration authorized by this Article shall be appropriated as part of the budget of the Mayor or Councilmember taking the voluntary reduction in remuneration and such differential may be expended for any purpose otherwise authorized for the expenditure of sums so budgeted. If the Mayor or any member of the Council is absent from one or more regular meetings of the Council during any calendar month, unless excused by the Council in order to attend to official business of the City, or unless excused by the Council as a result of their own illness or the illness or death of a “close family member” as defined in the City’s bereavement policy from attending no more than two regular meetings in any calendar year, they shall be paid for each regular meeting attended during such months in an amount equal to the monthly remunerat ion divided by the number of regular meetings held during such month. City of Stockton – Charter City As on April 2, 2024, the annual salary of the Mayor shall be $97,107 ($8,092.24 monthly) payable on the payment schedule for City employees. The Mayor shall be entitled to health, dental, life, and vision care insurance under the plans available to full-time employees of the City. 04/02/2024 – The annual salary of each member of the City Council, except the Mayor, shall be $30,832.62 ($2,569.40 monthly) payable on the payment schedule for City employees. Members of the City Council shall receive no benefits. City of Hayward – Charter City Each Council Member shall receive compensation for services rendered in an official capacity, an annual salary in the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00). The Council of the City of Hayward does ordain as follows: The Mayor shall receive as compensation for services rendered in an official capacity, an annual salary in the sum of forty thousand dollars ($40,000.00). From and after the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2003 and for each fiscal year thereafter, the compensation for the Mayor and each Council Member may be increased by an amount equivalent to the percent increase in the “Consumer Price Index Sa n Francisco- Oakland Metropolitan Area – All Items,” published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, for the twelve -month period ending June of each fiscal year. However, in no event shall any such increase be greater than 5%. Page 22 of 23 Item 4b. City of Napa – Charter City The City Municipal Code states: § 2.04.110 Council compensation. A. Pursuant to City Charter section 15, members of City Council, including the Mayor, shall receive compensation in the form of: (1) salary, (2) retirement, health and welfare benefits, and (3) reimbursement for expenses. B. Salary. The City shall pay salary to each member of City Council in the amount of One thousand three hundred sixty-seven dollars per month; provided, however, that after the date on which any member of Council begins a new term of office following the November 2018 General Municipal Election, the City shall pay salary to each member of City Council in the amount of One thousand four hundred thirty-five dollars per month. Provided, further, that the City shall pay salary to the Mayor, pursuant to California Government Code section 36516.1 and Napa Municipal Code Section 2.04.111, in the amount of Two thousand seven hundred thirty-four dollars per month; provided, however, that after the date on which any member of Council begins a new term of office following the November 2018 General Municipal Election, the City shall pay salary to the Mayor in the amount of Two thousand eight hundred seventy dollars per month. C. Retirement, Health, and Welfare. The city shall pay each member of City Council retirement, health, and welfare benefits in an amount to be established by resolution of the City Council, not to exceed the amount of benefits available to city employees appointed by City Council. D. Reimbursement for Expenses. The city shall pay each member of City Council reimbursements for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties, in amounts to be established by resolution of the City Council. § 2.04.111 Mayor Compensation. Pursuant to the provisions of the State Government Code, the salary for the directly elected Mayor of this city shall be set at twice the amount as the salary set for Council. This section shall become effective April 2003. Page 23 of 23