Newport Beach boosts pay for city attorney, city manager

Newport Beach’s city attorney and city manager will see a 5% raise, retroactive to July 1, following unanimous action taken this week by the City Council.

City Manager Grace Leung and City Atty. Aaron Harp saw 2% raises to their base salaries in 2021. At the time, their salaries were reported to be $281,220 and $252,500 respectively. But Tuesday’s actions involved amending the existing employment agreements for both Leung and Harp as the previous salary ranges outlined for both jobs would not allow for that raise. The raises come after three different closed sessions during which their performance reviews were given.

Citizen watchdog Jim Mosher asked if the raises were due to inflation or if they were purely based on performance. Newport Beach Mayor Noah Blom confirmed it was the latter.

“When we had gone ahead and moved forward with some other salary increases for directors and key management, we did not do it with the appointed [positions],” Blom said.

For the city manager, the salary range is now $217,297 to $325,933. The range for the city attorney is $195,034 to $292,525. Resolutions amending the existing employment contracts, which for Leung ends in December 2026 and Harp in December 2028, now indicate Leung will see a base salary of $325,733 and Harp $292,525 for the current fiscal year 2023-24.

Leung was hired in September 2018. Harp was hired in September 2011.