City of Lodi adds new positions but holds off on HR overhaul

Apr. 4—The City of Lodi's human resources division will not be getting an overhaul in the near future as leaders expressed concern that job descriptions were not included in a Wednesday proposal.

The Lodi City Council unanimously approved the 2024-2025 mid-year budget, but without changing the human resources manager and information technology manager positions to deputy director titles.

In February, the consultant firm Municipal Resource Group proposed the city rebrand the city's human resources division as a department and put a director in charge, rather than a manager, as well as add clerical support and a risk management analyst, or retain the human resources division and change the manager to a deputy director.

A third proposal was to retain the division, and increase its full-time employee roster to include an senior analyst and administrative clerk and change the manager to a deputy director.

Wednesday's staff report proposed eliminating the existing human resources manager — whose salary is $223,950 — and adding a deputy director at a cost of $241,810.

In addition, staff proposed eliminating the information technology manager — whose salary was 213,835 — and adding a deputy director at a cost of $229,300.

Vice mayor Ramon Yepez and councilman Mikey Hothi questioned the need for changing the titles, and both said they would not be voting for the proposals.

Yepez said he would vote no on any proposal that did not include job descriptions.

"The new positions will be doing essentially the same job," city manager Scott Carney said. "But we're doing a name change because we think it will be good marketing to be able to attract talent."

Hothi said he wanted to speak with the city's labor groups before voting on personnel changes.

"I'm happy to look at some of the other options on the table and hear from my colleagues," he said. "But I don't feel comfortable voting on personnel title changes until I know what the impact is on our rank-and-file employees."

Despite the decline to approve the two positions, Hothi and Yepez agreed to adding seven new positions to city hall, including a budget analyst at $200,310 and a Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services program coordinator at $110,730.

Also approved were two customer service representatives in the Finance Department at $175,280 each, and two associate planners in the Community Development Department at $262,250 each.

The city's general fund is now projected to be about $90 million, and is due to a $6.42 million increase in carryover funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, and an additional $5,000 donation from the Lodi Fire Foundation.

Revenues are estimated to be about $90 million, an increase of $2.53 million due to an income increase not included in the original budget and an increase in property tax revenue, as well as a one-time true-up of the lease agreement for the 215 W. Elm St. building with the Judicial Council of California, staff said.

Expenses are anticipated to be about $92.8 million, and are $1.15 million higher than first projected last summer.

The council will adopt the 2025-2026 budget in June.