San Mateo County Grand Jury
• 2008-2009
Issue | Background | Findings | Conclusions | Recommendations | Responses | Attachments Determining Elected Officials’
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 7 findings
F1
The Daly City City Council has the authority to set the compensation level and job description for the Daly City City Clerk position.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
Restore retroactively the compensation of the Daly City City Clerk to the level at the beginning of her term in November 2008.
F2
In March 2009, the City Manager recommended and the City Council approved the reduction in the City Clerk’s compensation by 48%. This action took place four months after the City Clerk’s election to office.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
Establish a fixed compensation for elected officials such as the City Clerk. A committee should be commissioned to review comparable compensation, position responsibilities, and other factors, and make a recommendation to the City Council.
F3
There are no professional qualifications required for a Daly City resident to run for City Clerk.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
Identify a human resources specialist to work with all parties to restore a productive working environment and to lay out a plan to improve the capability of the City Clerk.
F4
The role and responsibilities of the City Clerk were not changed from those of the previous City Clerk.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
Encourage the City Clerk to attain available training through the City Clerks Association and obtain certification.
F5
The current City Clerk does not have the same professional experience that previous City Clerks have had.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
Reconsider asking the electorate to change the position of City Clerk to an appointed instead of elected position.
F6
The City Clerk does not currently hold either of the two certifications offered by the California City Clerks Association -- Certified Municipal City Clerk or Master Municipal City Clerk.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
Consider establishing certification or other minimum qualifications for future City Clerks if the office becomes appointed.
F7
Despite expressing concern about the new City Clerk’s lack of experience, the City’s senior staff has done little if anything to help the City Clerk learn the job. Conclusions The 2008-2009 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury concludes that the Daly City City Clerk’s compensation reduction was unjustified. The Grand Jury further concludes that:
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
Refrain from reducing the compensation of elected City officials during their terms of office without their consent.
Conclusions 4
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CL1 Page 4It is inappropriate for a City Manager to recommend or a City Council to approve adjusting the compensation of an elected official during his or her term and without notice prior to an election. The City Clerk was elected when the salary for the position was posted as $101,374 per year, and there was no notice from the Daly City City Council or Daly City’s City Manager’s Office that compensation would be changed following the election. Although there are no formal contracts between Daly City and elected officials, changing the salary several months later during the term of office is in essence changing the terms of an agreement between the City and an elected official without consent of the elected official.
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CL2 Page 4The situation in Daly City has been handled poorly by the City Manager’s Office and the City Council. The lack of pre-election clarification of expectations and compensation for the candidates for the City Clerk position is without excuse. The apparent lack of trying to improve skills of the City Clerk is shortsighted.
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CL3 Page 4The City Council’s position that the staff can handle much of the City Clerk’s responsibilities making the new City Clerk’s role part-time has no credence, since the new City Clerk’s responsibilities are not any different from the previous City Clerk’s responsibilities, according to City officials.
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CL4 Page 4Due to the nature of the duties of the City Clerk, the position lends itself more to being appointed rather than elected. 4
No Responses Found 1
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
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