City Commission to consider staff position reallocations, pay-grade update for chief of staff on Aug. 9 consent agenda

Jose Luis Rodriguez, a representative of the Human Resources Department, briefed the City Commission on proposed reclassifications that would change job titles and pay grades across several departments and will be placed on the consent agenda for the commission’s Aug. 9 meeting.

Rodriguez said the proposals “are just changes in job titles or changes in the pay grades associated to the job titles. They are not additions of positions to the city's FTE council.” He summarized reallocations in Public Works, Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources, Housing and Community Development, and Police, and recommended a pay-grade change for the city’s chief of staff post.

The package matters because it alters internal career progression, supervisory responsibilities and one salary grade where duties were combined. Rodriguez told the commission the chief of staff post and the economic development manager duties were merged in fiscal year 2021 and that the pay grade for the combined duties was not updated then. The Human Resources presentation proposes raising the chief of staff pay grade from grade 64 to grade 73 to reflect that combined role.

The most consequential item discussed was the chief of staff/economic development manager consolidation. Rodriguez said the combined role has carried duties of both positions since FY '21. An administrator told Commissioner Scholl that the chief-of-staff title “was always in the city's salary plan. So when you look at the change in the mayors, the former mayor, as I understood it, had the chief of of staff working in that capacity. Mayor James did not have anyone working in that capacity, although the position was always in the budget. And as we looked at balancing for f y, '21, the funding for that position was not included in the budget.” The administrator added that funding for the economic development manager was used to underfill the chief of staff position at the time.

Commissioner Scholl asked to see the consolidated job duties for the hybrid position, noting that one person cannot be expected to perform 100% of both jobs. Rodriguez responded that the revised job description already had been developed when the mayor decided to underfill the economic development manager and consolidate functions, and that the commission could be provided that updated job description.

Other proposed reallocations summarized by Rodriguez: - Public Works: reallocate two Public Works Technician IV positions to two Lead Public Works Technician positions to create a career-progression step with supervisory responsibilities. - Finance: reclassify a senior accountant to Treasury supervisor; two cashier positions to two accounting clerks; an accountant to senior accountant; and a collection specialist to accountant, to reflect expanded database administration and financial-reporting needs. - Information Technology: reclassify a senior accounting clerk to fiscal analyst to match current job functions. - Human Resources: reclassify a training and development specialist to senior administrative assistant to provide a department-level administrative function. - Housing and Community Development: reclassify Community Development Programs Administrator to Housing and Community Development Programs Manager; Rodriguez said that position is vacant and the relabeling corrects a mislabel from the FY '21 budget. - Police: reclassify a civilian Police Administrative Services Coordinator to Public Information Officer after a sworn officer who had served as the PIO retired; Rodriguez and Chief Adderley (referenced) concluded a civilian PIO better meets the expanded public-information needs.

Rodriguez emphasized that, except where noted, these are reclassifications only and do not add FTEs or change the city’s authorized head count. Commissioner Shove confirmed “it is a reallocation of an already established position to an elevated position” in most cases and that some changes will affect incumbents while others involve vacant posts.

The commission did not vote on the reallocations during the briefing. Rodriguez said the items will be placed on the Aug. 9 consent agenda for formal consideration. Commissioners asked for the consolidated chief of staff/economic development job description; Rodriguez said the revised job description exists and will be provided to the commission.

Pending the Aug. 9 action, the proposal remains a recommended set of internal reclassifications intended to align job titles and pay grades with current duties, not to expand the city’s workforce or immediately change budgeted FTE counts.

The commission’s formal consideration and any vote will determine whether the reallocations and the chief of staff pay-grade change are adopted.