Charter review committee votes to keep clerk and treasurer elected, asks staff to draft pay‑protection language

The Glendale Charter Review Committee voted on March 5 to recommend that the city continue electing both the city clerk and the city treasurer and asked staff to draft charter language that would prevent the council from reducing those officers’ compensation during a term and would bar compensation changes within 30 days before nomination papers are filed.

The committee’s decision followed a staff legal memo and a human resources presentation explaining how compensation for the clerk and treasurer is currently set. City attorney staff told members the city charter is largely silent on a specific salary‑setting mechanism and that, as written, the council retains discretion to establish compensation. The committee reviewed examples from other charter cities (including Compton and Redondo Beach) that include explicit timing and emergency exceptions.

Human Resources Director Miss Paul Adams explained the city’s practical approach: the clerk and treasurer are treated as executive‑level classifications, salaries are reviewed against a group of comparable cities, and the city recently adopted a formal salary range for executives. Adams said the positions are scheduled to receive a 4% cost‑of‑living adjustment effective July 1, 2026, and estimated the clerk’s compensation would be just over $154,000 and the treasurer’s just over $161,000 once that adjustment is in effect.

Several public speakers and the city clerk said the salary‑setting process has created stress and could be used as leverage on elected officers. The city clerk, Susie Abatian, said the structure has made it harder to recruit and retain staff and emphasized that certification bump pay she receives does not count toward retirement benefits. Members cited those concerns in arguing for clearer charter guardrails.

After debate the committee made a motion to retain both offices as elected positions and to give staff direction to propose charter language that (1) preserves the council’s discretion to set compensation but (2) adds an explicit 30‑day pre‑filing protection and (3) prohibits decreasing an official’s compensation during the term of office. The motion passed by roll call vote. Staff told the committee it will return with draft language and a legal briefing on whether state law already provides similar protections.

What happens next: Staff will draft recommended charter language and return with a legal memo on state law implications and proposed text for the committee’s review prior to any formal recommendation to the city council.