Thousand Oaks City Council votes to increase pay, perks of city execs – Decision comes just before summer recess
By Kyle Jorrey July 20, 2017 tonewstip@theacorn.com
Department heads and other executives for the City of Thousand Oaks are receiving an increase in their pay and benefits.
The group of 10 positions, plus the city manager and city attorney, is the only one at City Hall not represented by a union.
Because they are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement or contract, their compensation is established via City Council resolution.
On July 11, the council voted 5-0 in favor of giving the group an across-the-board pay raise of 2.57 percent in fiscal year 2017-18 and 2.64 percent in FY 2018-19.
The raises will cost taxpayers $53,892 this year and $56,833 next year. The group last received raises in July 2015.
Employees covered under the amendment: assistant city manager, city clerk, deputy city manager/department head, community development director, cultural affairs director, deputy city manager, finance director, human resources director, library services director and public works director.
In addition, the city plans to dole out merit-based raises to individual executives, up to 3.5 percent for exceptional performance, according to a staff report.
Employees, rated by the city manager, who receive a rating of at least “good work” will receive a 1.5 percent raise effective July 1, 2017, and another effective June 30, 2018.
Under the new agreement, executive managers will no longer receive Christmas Eve as a paid holiday. Prior to the resolution, managers got paid for four holiday hours on Dec. 24 (1 to 5 p.m.). As a replacement, they will be allowed to take a floating holiday of at least 10 hours.
The new floating holiday can be taken anytime during the calendar year, Human Resources Director Gary Rogers said.
Also increasing under the new amendment: the taxpayer paid contribution to the employees’ health-insurance plans, which will go from $680 per month to $730 a month on Jan. 1, 2018, and from $730 to $780 on Jan. 1, 2019, and the executives’ monthly car allowance, which will increase from $419.11 to $429.59.
“These are people who are responsible for a tremendous amount of municipal services and responsibilities,” Councilmember Andy Fox said before the July 11 vote. “I would say that in looking at the comparisons with other cities, the salaries we’re paying from our entry-level employees right up to our executive managers are certainly competitive, but they’re right in the range of other cities both in California and in Ventura (County).”
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