Council adopts salary schedule updates, 2% cost-of-living adjustments and personnel changes

The Imperial Beach City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-043 on Aug. 20 to update the city’s fiscal-year salary schedule, to apply a 2% cost-of-living adjustment retroactive to July 1, 2025 for management and confidential employees, and to implement several job-classification and benefit changes. Human Resources Director Nadia Smith presented the proposal, which included a July 1, 2025 2% COLA for mid-management, management and confidential employees; an additional salary step for confidential classifications; a further 2% COLA effective July 1, 2026; a $50 increase in the safety-shoe allowance for field classifications; paid-leave changes for part-time employees; and adjustments to cafeteria allotments and administrative leave for certain unrepresented positions. Smith also said the item included a proposed CalPERS retirement contract amendment to add a 2% employee cost-sharing component, and that the salary-schedule updates incorporate tentative agreements with represented units adopted earlier. During public comment a resident criticized the raise as too small and asked for more transparency about total payroll impacts. Councilmembers responded that the changes were included in the approved budget cycle, that the adjustments are part of ongoing labor negotiations and retention efforts, and that staff had prepared the required documents and job descriptions for council approval. Councilmember Fisher moved for adoption; the motion passed unanimously. The resolution approves the fiscal-year 2025–27 salary schedule, the appointments/management and confidential benefits summary, and the personnel changes presented by staff.