The National City City Council on Tuesday approved a new deal for its city manager.
Leslie Deese, whose contract with the city was set to expire in Januray 2016, now has a new deal that will keep her on board through 2019.
Deese is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a city with 59,834 residents, carrying out the City Council’s policy, establishing the city’s budget and overseeing 386 full- and part-time city employees.
Deese said she has many projects on her plate, including the nearly completed Eighth Street Smart Growth Revitalization project that includes the undergrounding of overhead utilities between National City Boulevard and Highland Avenue, and replacing the sewer system between the Eighth Street trolley station and K Avenue.
“There’s a resurgence of energy in National City and there are so many great things happening in the city,” she said.
“It’s great to be part of everything that’s happening from all the projects. Most importantly the extension of my contract allows me the opportunity to see a lot of these significant projects through to completion,” she said.
Her new contract shows that Deese is in line for three staggered salary increases, the first of which is retroactive to July 1.
In 2012 Dees’s salary was $164,999. In 2014, when the council voted to extend her original contract, she earned $188,436 per year.
Under the new terms Deese’s monthly base salary is $16,576 or $198,912 annually, which marks her first salary bump since she was appointed city manager in January 2012.
Seven months later she will get an increase that brings her yearly salary to $209,952, or $17,496 a month. In January 2018 she will get one final raise where she will make a yearly income of $223,872.
The pay hikes are said to make her salary more competitive to other full-service cities, she said.
Chula Vista’s city manager’s current annual salary is $232,619.
Councilwoman Alejandra Sotelo Solis was absent for the vote on Tuesday as she was out of town, but did say that Deese deserved the contract.
“City Manager Deese has garnered my support for another contract because of her constant and unwavering commitment to the city of National City,” the councilwoman said.
“She has and continues to share her knowledge and expertise around issues of community engagement, development and land while gathering a dedicated team to move the city’s priorities forward.”
Deese has served National City for nearly three decades in many capacities. Prior to her appointment she was assistant city manager and worked various jobs as a city employee.
“I grew up here,” she said. “For 29 years I worked for the city, worked my way up through the organization.”
“I love the National City community and I have a great City Council to work with,” she said.
