DATE: February 19, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: City Attorney's Office
TITLE: APPROVAL OF THE ADDITION OF A CHIEF ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY CLASSIFICATION AND MODIFY THE CURRENT AUTHORIZED ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY POSITION
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff requests the City Council approve the addition of a Chief Assistant City Attorney classification and modify the current authorized Assistant City Attorney position to Chief Assistant City Attorney position within the City Attorney's Office and establish a salary range for the new classification.
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There is no budget impact for FY 2024-25. In the subsequent years, this will increase the General Fund ongoing cost by approximately $29,000 annually, plus any regular salary increases.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
With the recent retirement of the City's longest-serving City Attorney, the City Attorney's Office is actively reviewing organizational structure and back-filling a current vacancy. As part of this process, the need for a new Chief Assistant City Attorney classification was identified.
When fully staffed, the City Attorney's Office is comprised of nine employees; six of which are currently budgeted as full-time attorneys, one senior paralegal, and two senior legal secretaries. While there is cross-over in tasking and functions, the City Attorney's Office is generally organized into three divisions: 1) civil litigation; 2) advisory/transactional; and 3) police and code enforcement matters, including prosecutions under the Oceanside City Code, all of which are overseen by the City Attorney.
With the exception of the City Attorney who is appointed directly by the City Council, the existing classifications for attorney staff in the City Attorney's Office are Assistant City Attorney, Senior Deputy City Attorney, and Deputy City Attorney. Entering FY 24/25, the City Attorney's Office was budgeted for and staffed with one City Attorney, three Assistant City Attorneys, and two Senior ...
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