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Needles council approves $20,000 raise for city manager after tie vote broken by mayor
Summary
Council adopted Resolution 2024‑44 amending the city manager employment agreement to raise Patrick Martinez’s salary from $197,000 to $217,000 per year; discussion highlighted the manager’s broad duties for a small city and mayor cast the tie‑breaking vote.
The City Council of Needles voted to adopt Resolution 2024‑44, which amends the employment agreement for City Manager Patrick Martinez to set his annual salary at $217,000, up from $197,000. Council discussion referenced the manager’s broad responsibilities in a small city and recent emergency actions taken by the city manager.
City Attorney summarized the amendment and said the change affects salary only; other agreement terms remain unchanged. Supporters on the council argued the pay increase reflects the range of duties the city manager performs in the absence of an assistant city manager and the cost savings that brings. One council member said the raise was “appropriate” given performance and workload; another described the timing as "a little bit premature."
The roll call produced a 3–3 split. The council’s presiding officer, Mayor Jernigan, cast the tie‑breaking vote in favor and the motion carried.
Next steps: the amendment was read into the record and the city manager’s salary schedule will be updated to reflect the new annual rate. Any budgetary adjustments associated with the amendment were not detailed in the open transcript and should be confirmed in the finalized resolution packet.
