Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, March 05, 2019
Discussion
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 19-1926 AMENDING AMENDING SECTION 2303 (CLERK AND TREASURER) OF CHAPTER 3 (COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES) OF ARTICLE II (ADMINISTRATION) OF THE CARSON MUNICIPAL CODE REGARDING CITY CLERK AND CITY TREASURER COMPENSATION; AND, ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 19-056, OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARSON, CALIFORNIA, AFFIRMING THE COMPENSATION FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS (CITY CLERK AND CITY TREASURER)
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I. SUMMARY
Per the voter-approved City Charter, effective January 17, 2019, the salaries of the City Clerk and City Treasurer shall be set by resolution of the City Council and maintained in a range appropriate under the City’s salary schedule in accordance with their highest paid subordinate or manager. The City Clerk and City Treasurer may also receive additional premiums for receiving the professional designation as “Certified California Municipal Clerk” or “Certified California Municipal Treasurer" in accordance with Council resolution. These items effect those changes.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. WAIVE further reading and INTRODUCE ORDINANCE NO. 19-1926 AMENDING SECTION 2303 (CLERK AND TREASURER) OF CHAPTER 3 (COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES) OF ARTICLE II (ADMINISTRATION) OF THE CARSON MUNICIPAL CODE REGARDING CITY CLERK AND CITY TREASURER COMPENSATION; and
2. APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. 19-056, “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARSON, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING AND RESTATING IN ITS ENTIRETY RESOLUTION NO. 15-027, ESTABLISHING THE SALARY AND BENEFITS FOR THE CITY CLERK AND CITY TREASURER.”
1.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
Take other action the Council deems appropriate.
IV. BACKGROUND
The following code sections, from the newly adopted Charter to the Carson Municipal Code, govern the setting of pay for the elected City Clerk and the elected City Treasurer, as follows:
Charter Section 503. Compensation. The City Council shall determine, by ordinance or resolution, the amount and type of compensation to be paid to all City officers, department heads, and employees. The Council shall periodically survey comparable cities and set compensation levels so as to be reasonably competitive across similar classes and positions, taking into account the City’s fiscal condition. The salaries of the city clerk and city treasurer shall be set by resolution of the City Council and maintained in a range appropriate under the City’s salary schedule in accordance with their highest paid subordinate or manager. The city clerk and city treasurer may also receive additional premiums for receiving the professional designation as “Certified California Municipal Clerk” or “Certified California Municipal Treasurer" in accordance with Council resolution.
City Municipal Code (CMC) Section 2303, Clerk and Treasurer. The City Clerk and City Treasurer shall receive, at stated times, compensation to be fixed by ordinance or resolution of the City Council. Such compensation shall be payable at the same time and in the same manner as salaries are paid to other officers of the City of Carson. This Section shall not be construed so as to preclude compensation of persons holding the office of Clerk or Treasurer for performance of duties other than those of Clerk or Treasurer, in such amounts as the City Council may from time to time determine by resolution. (Ord. 2, § 2301; Ord. 37, § 1; Ord. 69-113, § 1; Ord. 72-210, § 1)
Base Wages
The City Clerk and City Treasurer are currently at a $122,913 base compensation. By separate action on the agenda (Item #2019-235), the chief deputies for both officials would be eligible for a proposed top Step F of $10,367 per month, or $124,404 annually.
Based on language in the Charter that says their salaries are maintained in a range appropriate under the City’s salary schedule in accordance with their highest paid subordinate or manager, and language in the Carson Municipal Code that says that compensation shall be payable at the same time and in the same manner as salaries are paid to other officers of the City of Carson, the Clerk and Treasurer have requested an increase in their base compensation of $13,941, for a total of $136,844 annually. This represents about an 11.1% increase over their base pay of $122,913. This is slightly less than the manager level pay of Range 622 (City Controller), Step E, of $137,532.
In addition, based on the Charter language related to eligibility for additional premium pay for receiving the professional designation as “Certified California Municipal Clerk” or “Certified California Municipal Treasurer,” the Clerk and Treasurer have requested an additional 5% premium pay for the certification, or $6,842, for a total compensation of $143,687. The 5% premium is consistent with Carson’s practices in paying premium pay for other certifications.
Fully Loaded Wages and Costs
For the purpose of determining the fully loaded cost of employees (including insurance and other benefits), the City uses a load factor of 38% of employee compensation. The City Treasurer (highest fully loaded) is currently at $159,703; a recommendation of the 11.1% compensation increase plus the certification pay of 5% would bring the fully loaded cost to $182,025. For the City Clerk, the fully loaded cost would become $176,082.
Unlike City Staff, these electeds’ salaries are only amended by action of the City Council and do not enjoy step increases or cost of living increases, as regular salaried employees do. It has been several years since the compensation has been adjusted, and it could be several years before it is adjusted again.
Additionally, the City Council still retains the discretion to decrease City Clerk or City Treasurer compensation by 25% or more in the event a City Clerk or City Treasurer does not hold the professional designation of “Certified California Municipal Clerk” or “Certified California Municipal Treasurer.”
V. FISCAL IMPACT
The total fiscal impact of both positions from the base increase plus the certificate pay would be $40,661 on an annual basis, or about $20,000 each.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. Ordinance No. 19-1926 AMENDING SECTION 2303 (CLERK AND TREASURER) OF CHAPTER 3 (COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES) OF ARTICLE II (ADMINISTRATION) OF THE CARSON MUNICIPAL CODE REGARDING CITY CLERK AND CITY TREASURER COMPENSATION (pgs. 4-6).
2. RESOLUTION NO. 19-056, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARSON, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING AND RESTATING IN ITS ENTIRETY RESOLUTION NO. 15-027, ESTABLISHING THE SALARY AND BENEFITS FOR THE CITY CLERK AND CITY TREASURER
(Pgs. 7-17)
Prepared by: John Raymond, Acting City Manager