City Council debates salary ranges and hiring challenges for planning positions

The Rolling Hills Estates City Council meeting on May 12, 2025, focused on the city's personnel committee and the need for a review of salary ranges for city positions. Council members expressed concerns about the appropriateness of comparing their city to larger municipalities with significantly higher budgets and populations, such as Carson, which has over 91,000 residents compared to Rolling Hills Estates' estimated 1,977 residents.

During the discussion, council members highlighted the challenges of attracting qualified candidates for city positions, particularly in the planning department, due to the competitive salaries offered by larger cities. They emphasized the importance of establishing salary ranges that reflect the city's budget constraints while remaining attractive to potential employees. The council debated whether to include cities with larger budgets in their salary comparisons, arguing that this could skew the median salary figures and misrepresent the city's financial capabilities.

Several council members suggested that the city should focus on smaller municipalities with similar demographics and budget sizes to ensure a fair comparison. They also discussed the need to update the city’s website to accurately reflect current salary ranges and job descriptions, which they felt were outdated and misleading.

The meeting concluded with a consensus that the council should revisit the list of comparable cities and adjust salary ranges accordingly. This review aims to create a more equitable framework for hiring and retaining city staff, particularly in critical roles such as planning, where the city has faced challenges in filling positions. The council plans to address these issues in future meetings to ensure that Rolling Hills Estates remains competitive in attracting talent while staying within its budgetary limits.