DATE: April 8, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: City Manager's Office
TITLE: INTRODUCTION OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 2.1.70 OF THE OCEANSIDE CITY CODE TO ADJUST THE SALARY FOR THE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends the City Council introduce an ordinance amending Section 2.1.70 of the Oceanside City Code to adjust the salary for the Mayor and Members of the City Council in accordance with the provisions of Sections 36516 and 36516.5 of the California Government Code.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Oceanside City Code ? 2.1.70 establishes City Council salaries and was last updated on August 19, 2015, with an effective date of December 16, 2016. Pursuant to this ordinance and in accordance with Gov. Code ? 36516, each Councilmember currently receives a base salary of $1,932.75/month ($23,193/year), not including benefits and other authorized pay (e.g., $150/meeting to act as the Community Development Commission (CDC)). Consistent with Government Code ? 36516.1, the Mayor receives additional compensation with a current total base salary of $2,107.91/month ($25,294.92/year), not including benefits and other authorized pay.
Effective January 1, 2024, SB 329 amended Gov. Code ? 36516 to increase the authorized base salary of council members and to allow cities to increase base salaries annually thereafter to adjust for inflation. As applied to the City of Oceanside, a city with a population between 150,000 and 250,000, the allowable statutory base salary for each councilmember has been increased to up to $2,550 per month and can be set at this new level by ordinance. Accordingly, the City Council could amend Oceanside City Code ? 2.1.70 and establish a new base salary of $2,550/month ($30,600/year) and set additional base compensation for the Mayor.[JB1][CP2]
The City Council may also increase salaries beyond the $2,550 monthly baseline, to an amount not exceeding the greater of either 5...
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