DATE: November 18, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: City Manager's Office
TITLE: RECLASSIFICATION OF EXISTING DEPUTY CITY MANAGER TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER; ABOLITION OF THE ASSOCIATED DEPUTY CITY MANAGER TITLE AND SALARY TABLE ON THE CITY OF OCEANSIDE’S SALARY SCHEDULE.
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that City Council approve the reclassification of the existing Deputy City Manager position to Assistant City Manager; and abolish the associated Deputy City Manager salary table from the City of Oceanside’s Salary Schedule accordingly.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The City has effectively recruited and retained highly qualified employees that keep the City running efficiently while managing a wide range of responsibilities. The management skills possessed by the current Deputy City Manager have allowed him to effectively oversee many City services and functions that fall under his purview. The core duties of the Deputy City Manager position have now expanded well past their original intended scope over the past several years. For example, the Deputy City Manager is responsible for oversight of the City’s Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Human Resources and Information Technology Departments. Combined, these Departments provide a broad array of inward and outward facing vital public services. The Deputy City Manager has also assumed direct management and oversight of key City initiatives including the on-going Opterra energy efficiency upgrade project. Finally, the Deputy City Manager continues to play a key role in labor negotiations.
As the complexity and significance of City initiatives and programs continues to grow, establishing a second Assistant City Manager position as proposed will allow the City Manager’s Office to continue to manage and seamlessly delegate responsibilities. Reclassifying the Deputy City Manager position to Assistant City Manager will also provide additional management capacity within the organization and greater flexibility for the City Manager to devote more time to critical strategic planning in the future. Additionally, the Assistant City Manager position is recognized regionally as a significant officer in the organization and will carry additional stature during participation at regional and local community meetings. The current Deputy City Manager has the requisite experience, educational background, and training to serve as an effective Assistant City Manager. If this reclassification is approved, pay and benefits for the new Assistant City Manager would be consistent with the adopted pay scale and benefits under the current Unrepresented Employees Compensation Plan for that classification.
Therefore, to better align with industry standards and in recognition of the necessity to expand the scope of the position to provide more comprehensive support to the City Manager and core City services, the reclassification of the existing Deputy City Manager position to Assistant City Manager is recommended. If approved, this change will be effective the first pay period following adoption of this item.
FISCAL IMPACT
The impact to the City Manager’s Personnel Services budget resulting from the reclassification for the remaining 26/27 Fiscal Year is approximately $10,500. The cost to the City Manager’s Personnel Services budget in upcoming fiscal years is approximately $18,000 per fiscal year on an ongoing basis. There is sufficient budget in the City Manager’s Personnel Services fund to absorb the increase.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Does not apply.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
Does not apply.
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Prepared by: Chelsea D. Phebus, Director of Human Resources/Risk Management
Reviewed by: T. Steven Burke, City Attorney
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager