DATE: March 11, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Housing and Neighborhood Services Department
TITLE: UPDATE JOB DESCRIPTION AND PAY RANGE FOR APPROVED SUPERVISING ACCOUNTANT POSITION AND RECLASSIFY TO SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
RECOMMENDATION
title
Staff recommends that the City Council approve a reclassification, inclusive of an updated pay range, job description and job title for the previously-approved Supervising Accountant position to Senior Accountant.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The City currently employs two full-time benefited Supervising Accountant positions, with one position in the Housing and Neighborhood Services Department and one within the Financial Services Department. The Supervising Accountant position within Housing and Neighborhood Services Department was vacated with the retirement of a long-standing employee in 2020. Due to a lack of qualified candidates, the Department experienced several unsuccessful recruitment attempts. In 2023, the Department was able to fill the vacancy but the position was recently vacated in January 2026.
The nature of the position within the Housing and Neighborhood Services Department has evolved over the years given the highly technical and regulated requirements of the job in complying with numerous grant and financial assistance programs at the local, state and federal level and the demand for financial accountability and performance placed upon the City. Based upon the knowledge, skills and experience needed to perform the duties, modifications to the Job Title, Job Description and associated Pay Range, resulting in a position reclassification, are necessitated to secure a highly qualified incumbent for the current vacancy.
The Housing and Neighborhood Services Department is responsible for managing a $24 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance program, as well as a $2 million HUD CDBG/HOME entitlement program, and various other grants and funding for homeless services/programs and other social services/programs. The Department is also responsible for administering loans and grants for various housing programs, such as homebuyer assistance, home rehabilitation and new construction or acquisition and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing utilizing a variety of regulated funding sources. This position works closely with the City’s Financial Services Department and other outside agencies such as HUD, State of California, and other Public Housing Authorities on financial reporting and forecasting.
An ideal candidate will possess broad knowledge of the management of general and governmental accounting, with an emphasis in public financing (e.g., federal, state, and local financing) and the detailed and analytical accounting, statistical, and narrative reports pertaining to fiscal activities, policies, and procedures, codes, and regulations. They should also possess knowledge of principles and best practices in accounting and financial reporting, along with a clear understanding of the specific programs and services being funded and implemented for the efficient management of public agency finances. This position works independently with minimal supervision and works collaboratively with managers of the Department. The Supervising Accountant position for the City of Oceanside is particularly challenging in comparison to other cities due to the scale and complexity of the public financing sources and the level of technical proficiency required to adhere to program codes and regulations.
The Job Description for the Supervising Accountant has not been updated since 2020. In that time, there have been significant changes in the regulatory environment of public financing and demand for transparency, accountability, and performance in carrying out activities and the expenditure of public funds. Additionally, the implementation of new software and reporting and tracking of revenues and expenses of public funds has had a profound effect on the roles and responsibilities of the Supervising Accountant. As such, the position requires the highest level of knowledge in the field and the ability to work seamlessly with various funding sources, while ensuring compliance with the various applicable governing codes and regulations, and therefore, necessitating a review of the job description and the pay range.
The Human Resources Department conducted an analysis of the Supervising Accountant position’s primary duties and responsibilities, along with a compensation survey of various agencies within San Diego County for salary competitiveness for positions with like job duties. This analysis has resulted in recommendations to reclassify the Job Title, update the Job Description and propose an updated Pay Range for the reclassified position. The updated Job Description more accurately reflects the current duties and responsibilities of the proposed reclassified Senior Accountant position. The Job Title and Pay Range adjustments are reflective of the complexity of duties the position entails and demands and allows for market competitiveness during the recruiting process to ensure prime positioning for solicitation of experienced and highly qualified candidates. The existing and proposed pay range is as follows:
|
CITY OF OCEANSIDE SALARY SCHEDULE |
|
Adopted February 18, 2026, Effective January 4, 2026 |
|
Supervising Accountant |
|
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
|
Hourly |
$ 42.39 |
$ 44.52 |
$ 46.74 |
$ 49.08 |
$ 51.53 |
$ 54.10 |
$ 56.80 |
|
Monthly |
$ 7,348 |
$ 7,717 |
$ 8,102 |
$ 8,507 |
$ 8,932 |
$ 9,377 |
$ 9,845 |
|
To be Adopted March 11, 2026, Effective March 15, 2026 |
|
Senior Accountant |
|
Hourly |
$ 48.21 |
$ 50.63 |
$ 53.18 |
$ 55.85 |
$ 58.61 |
$ 61.55 |
$ 64.64 |
|
Monthly |
$ 8,356 |
$ 8,776 |
$ 9,218 |
$ 9,681 |
$ 10,159 |
$ 10,669 |
$ 11,204 |
The most recent update to the City of Oceanside Salary Schedule was approved by the City Council during the meeting of February 18, 2026, retroactive to January 4, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT
The salary for the Supervising Accountant is currently budgeted in the Housing Grant Programs budget account 900010101, at Step B, for a fully loaded budget of $142,722 in FY 2025-26. It is anticipated that the new hire as a Senior Accountant could be filled at Step B depending on level of experience and qualifications of the candidate, for a total estimated salary and benefits of $160,473. The proposed reclassified Senior Accountant salary range is higher than the existing Supervising Accountant salary range, representing a $17,751 increase for FY 25-26 but with the current position vacant the overage will be absorbed in the current budget therefore no additional funds are needed. The impact to the Department’s non-General Fund for future years is a minimum annual increase of approximately $23,000.
The Supervising Accountant position in the Financial Services Department is currently filled at Step G and budgeted at $182,641 for FY 2025-26. For the proposed Senior Accountant position, the increase for FY 2025-26 is $5,239 and will be absorbed within the current year’s budget therefore no additional funds are needed. the impact to the General Fund in future fiscal years will result in an annual estimated minimum annual increase of $22,600.
The increase in cost for future fiscal years will be funded through the normal budget process.
|
Position Title |
Budget in FY 2025-26 |
|
CURRENT |
|
PCN AD75NS01 Supervising Accountant Step B |
$142,722 |
|
PCN MG27TR01 Supervising Accountant Step G |
$182,641 |
|
PROPOSED |
|
PCN AD75NS01 Senior Accountant Step B |
$160,473 |
|
PCN MG27TR01 Senior Accountant Step E |
$187,880 |
|
NET FISCAL IMPACT |
|
Non-General Fund |
$17,751 |
|
General Fund |
$5,239 |
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Not Applicable
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
Not Applicable
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Prepared by: Leilani Hines, Housing and Neighborhood Services Director
Reviewed by: Chelsea Phebus, Director of Human Resources & Risk Management
Reviewed by: Jill Moya, Financial Services Director
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Report
2. Updated Job Description