Garden Grove council amends city manager's contract, raises salary to $346,433

The Garden Grove City Council approved an amendment to the city manager's employment agreement that raises the manager's salary to $346,433 and adds other compensation changes, a move council members said is intended to retain leadership amid regional competition for executive staff.

City Attorney Sandoval presented three changes: an adjusted base salary of $346,433 per year, a contribution by the city to the maximum allowable deferred‑compensation plan as permitted by law, and an annual lump‑sum of 80 vacation hours starting March 2026. "The first one is to adjust the compensation to $346,433 per year," Sandoval said during his report.

Public comment earlier in the meeting included expressions of concern from labor representatives about equity between executive compensation and front‑line worker increases. Several councilmembers acknowledged those concerns but said retention and continuity were paramount. "If we don't give her a pay raise, another city's going to steal her from us," one councilmember said in support of the amendment.

The amendment passed on a roll call vote reported as 6 yes votes with one member absent. Council asked staff to continue work on broader employee compensation and to consider equity across bargaining units in future negotiations.