Proposed salary increase follows performance evaluation in February
CATHEDRAL CITY — Charlie McClendon, who became city manager of Cathedral City in March 2014, is poised to receive City Council support for a salary increase when the Council meets Wednesday, May 26.
The City Council is scheduled to approve the fifth amendment to the city manager employment agreement in the base amount of $226,886 annually.
If approved, it would be the first salary increase in more than three years for the man who leads the second largest city in the Coachella Valley.
The salary of the city manager was last increased through a contract amendment on March 14, 2018. The city manager’s salary was reduced by 10% for a one-year period through June 30, 2021 as part of the budget reductions the City Council approved by Council in June 2020 in response to the revenue reductions caused by the pandemic.
The proposed amendment to the employment contract will restore the salary reduction and add a 4% increase resulting in an amended base salary of $226,886 annually.
Money for the employment contract is included in the proposed budget for FY 21-22 and FY 22-23.
If approved, the amended contract would become effective July 1, 2021.
Before coming to Cathedral City, McClendon was city manager of Avondale, Ariz., for more than 10 years. He was assistant city manager in Avondale for two years prior to being appointed as city manager.
McClendon also worked for Glendale, Ariz., for 17 years, holding positions in human resources and budget. In his last 10 years with Glendale, he served as management and budget director.
He began his career with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government in Lexington, Ky., where he worked for seven years.
McClendon holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Ottawa University.
r