Newport boosts pay for city manager, attorney and clerk
Newport Beach city leaders on Tuesday approved salary increases and merit pay in new contracts for three top city employees.
City Manager Dave Kiff, who was hired in 2009, will be paid $265,680 annually, an 8% increase from last year.
City Attorney Aaron Harp, appointed in 2011, will now make $237,800 a year, a 2.5% increase.
City Clerk Leilani Brown, who has served in the post since 2008, will be paid $145,550 annually, a 2.5% increase.
All three received raises in 2015 as well.
The City Council conducted performance reviews for Kiff, Harp and Brown during closed meetings beginning in November. Early this month, the council discussed compensation and benefit changes, according to a city staff report.
Councilman Tony Petros called this year’s raises modest, though in line with how other city employees are paid across Southern California.
“I think the council wisely put together contracts that reflect the performance that we have received from these appointees while maintaining fiscal responsibility and accountability to the residents of Newport Beach,” Petros said. “We are still holding a line on our [California Public Employees’ Retirement System] obligations for these three appointees and, in fact, are increasing their PERS compensations to the highest level of that in the county.”
The three will be required to increase contributions to the CalPERS system to 13% of their gross pay, according to the agreements.
In addition to their base pay increases, they will be granted one-time merit pay.
The merit payments will be for each paid work day from Nov. 25, the day their contracts expired, to Tuesday. Kiff will receive $75.69 per work day, Harp $22.31 and Brown $13.65, the contracts state.
“It’s a little nerve-racking to have your contract up with all of its provisions out there in the blue sky, and have your performance discussed,” Kiff wrote in an email circulated to residents. “But it comes with the territory, and we knew that when we entered these careers.
“As for me, I always say that some days I feel like I get paid way too much, and some days too little.”
The City Council also adjusted the salary ranges for the city clerk and city attorney positions because the existing ranges didn’t provide enough room to accommodate their increases.
Under the new rules, the city attorney can make $158,533.33 to $237,800 annually. The city clerk’s annual salary can range from $97,033.33 to $145,550, according to city documents.
