DID YOU KNOW The Redwood City City Council is voting Monday night to increase the City Manager, City Attorney and City Clerk's Salary?

“The recommended salary adjustments are as follows:

Position Recommended Increase Current Salary (monthly) New Salary (monthly)

City Manager 8% $19,182 $20,717

City Attorney 4% $18,484 $19,223

City Clerk 8% $ 9,755 $10,535

A 8% increase for the City Manager will ensure an equitable salary alignment between the City Manager and the highest paid Department head he supervises. The increase will bring his salary differential to 11% (compared to 3% currently), consistent with the minimum compaction standard of 10% used to establish salary ranges with employee groups throughout the City. The recommended adjustment will place the salary above the market median... “

http://agendas.redwoodcity.org/sirepub/cache/2/0x1i0rn1mxqiwawkh0sqbsdr/13960610032014122827268.PDF

So let me understand this the City Manager can give raises to his employees and then the City Council has to maintain a certain “salary differential” so it raises the City Manager’s salary. How does a City Manager in that position not give every possible raise to his Department heads? Is this not a clear conflict of interest?

Just as importantly depending on whether or not you wax lyrical in favor or against all the new development:

“On September 8, 2014, Council met to discuss the results of the compensation study and consider salary adjustments, with consideration given to employee performance, the financial condition of the City, and internal salary compaction. Given the INCREASING DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY AND RELATED DEMANDS ON CITY SERVICES, Council seeks to rewards and retain the leadership of the City....”

The more development approved in the City, the more the City Management can expect to earn. Another clear conflict of interest. Who then is ever going to vote to limit additional development?

For those familiar with my blog you may or may not believe that I am taking aim at the City Manager, rest assured I am not. If that is what he is being rewarded for, kudos to him for delivering on what his superiors are asking him to do. First and foremost, I am a process person. I believe that if we set incentives in one direction we cannot possibly hope to get results in the opposite direction which is why I have a real problem with the criteria and process involved in the compensation plan of city management. That however appears to be a City Council decision.

What do you think? Is this how City management should be compensated?

Photo credit: Tulal, Cartoonindia.com