Eleven of the city’s 20 upper-management positions fell below the average. Most of those were corrected in July, but city officials thought it prudent to stagger the larger increases needed for the four positions on Tuesday, which were the furthest from the average, Doyle said.
The new pay raises bring those salaries in line with the average of those found in the labor market survey, City Manager Jim Starbird said.
At a time when the city is experiencing an unprecedented spike in executive turnover — there are now vacancies for the heads of the city’s Fire, Finance and Libraries departments, as well as for Glendale Water & Power — the ability to at least level the recruiting playing field by meeting the regional average, Doyle said.
After Jan. 1, City Atty. Scott Howard will see his pay raise from $18,102 a month to $18,645 a month, Doyle said. Director of Planning Hassan Haghani will see his pay increase from between $10,956 and $13,697 to $11,286 to $14,108 per month.
Parks and Recreation Director George Chapjian will see his range improve from $10,487 to $13,109 a month to between $10,802 and $13,502.
For the new general manager of the city’s utility, the range will increase from $14,524 and $18,154 per month to $14,959 to $18,699, Doyle added.
“I know these figures sound like a lot, but we need to have the ability to continue to attract and retain the best management personnel that are available,” Doyle said. “These positions are just way too important for us to settle for mediocrity.”
That sentiment was echoed by Mayor Ara Najarian, who in the face of criticism from the public and some on the dais for overspending in an uncertain financial situation argued that the increases were necessary for attracting top talent and for retaining them.
“If we don’t keep up, they’ll go elsewhere,” he said.
A misunderstanding with the staff report detailing the raises initially had Councilman Bob Yousefian coming out against the proposal, who with Councilman Frank Quintero’s opposition cast doubt on its passage.
But a last-minute clarification swayed the vote to 4-1, putting the city in a better negotiating position as it continues to meet with candidates for the Glendale Water & Power positions, Doyle said.
“Had this not been approved, that could have imposed some difficulty for us,” he said.
JASON WELLS covers City Hall. He may be reached at (818) 637-3235 or by e-mail at jason.wells@latimes.com.
