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Laguna Beach council sets city clerk salary, removes annual performance pay
Summary
Council voted to set a fixed base salary for the elected city clerk, approved a 5% increase to the clerk's pay, and removed annual exceptional performance and performance‑based pay from the clerk's compensation policy.
The Laguna Beach City Council on July 8 approved changing how the elected city clerk is paid and reviewed. The council voted to replace the existing salary range with a single fixed base salary of $197,545 (rounded) for fiscal year 2025–26 and to remove the annual exceptional‑performance payment and the performance‑based increase that had been part of the prior resolution.
Staff had presented three alternatives (no change, +3 percent, +5 percent) and a broader package of reforms that included a pre‑election salary review to ensure candidates know the salary they would receive if elected. The council approved the 5 percent increase and directed staff to revise the city clerk resolution to (1) set a single base salary, (2) establish a pre‑election salary review policy (with an option for council to appoint an ad hoc committee during strategic planning), and (3) remove the exceptional/performance pay provisions.
Why it matters: Councilmembers said the change makes elected office compensation more transparent for both voters and candidates and removes an annual process that placed councilmembers in the awkward position of judging an elected official’s performance. City Clerk Anne Marie Christophe supported a single fixed salary and urged a 5 percent increase.
Votes and next steps: Council approved the resolution as amended. Staff will return an updated resolution capturing the single salary amount and the pre‑election review language.
