REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Travis Hopkins, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Shannon Levin, Council Policy Analyst
Subject:
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Recommendation to Approve and Adopt Resolution No. 2025-56 Appointing Jason Schmitt to the Position of City Treasurer for the City of Huntington Beach
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Statement of Issue:
Per Section 311 of the City Charter, a vacancy in an office designated as elective by the City Charter shall be filled by appointment by the City Council. The City Treasurer position has been vacant since July 1, 2025.
Financial Impact:
The City Treasurer position is funded in the current fiscal year budget. Additional funds will be required in future fiscal year budgets.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
A) Appoint Jason Schmitt to the position of City Treasurer for the City of Huntington Beach; and
B) Approve and adopt Resolution No. 2025-56, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Appointing Jason Schmitt as City Treasurer and Setting the Salary Rate and Assigning Certain Benefits for the Appointed City Treasurer.”
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Alternative Action(s):
Do not approve, and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
Alisa Backstrom retired from her position as City Treasurer for the City of Huntington Beach on July 1, 2025. Per Section 311 of the City Charter, a vacancy in an office designated as elective by the City Charter shall be filled by appointment by the City Council.
On June 5, 2025, an Ad Hoc City Council Committee comprised of Mayor Pat Burns, Councilman Butch Twining, and Council Woman Gracey Van Der Mark was tasked with evaluating the City Treasurer position and appointment. Per direction of the Ad Hoc Committee the City Manager advertised the open recruitment, reviewed and categorized qualified applications, and conducted interviews with select candidates.
The Ad Hoc Committee recommends Jason Schmitt to serve as the City Treasurer as a full-time capacity through the fulfillment of the term that expires in December 2027. Schmitt has served as CEO, CFO, and Division Head for many corporations. He has served on various government, corporate, civic, and university boards. Schmitt earned a law degree from Harvard Law School and an M.B.A. from Pacific College.
The City Treasurer serves as department head, and manages 9.5 full-time equivalent personnel to provide the following core services:
• Receives on behalf of the City all taxes, assessments, license fees and other revenue, and all monies collected.
• Safekeeping of funds and shall enter into any contract with a depository, which in judgment is to the public advantage.
• Pays out monies only upon proper orders or warrants in the manner provided for in the City Charter.
• Prepares and submits to the Director of Finance monthly written reports of all receipts, disbursements and fund balances, and files copies of such reports with the City Manager and City Council.
• Assumes full responsibility for the investment of surplus money in the treasury and makes a monthly report of such transaction to the legislative body.
• The law imposes upon the Treasurer the obligation to maintain all special assessment records and to receive and disburse all funds as trustee for the bondholders.
• Responsible for the appropriate distribution of all payroll and warrant checks.
• Requires extensive analysis of future cash requirements and forecasting investments to meet.
• Analyzes and evaluates appropriate investments.
The City Manager has the authority to assign pay grade levels (Starting, Control, High Point) for all non-elected department heads. Per the City Charter, elected officials that also serve as City department heads must seek Council approval to set compensation and receive pay grade adjustments via the adoption of a Resolution in a public meeting. ventures for city funds, consistent with applicable law.
The FY25/26 budget appropriates $188,981 for the Treasurer position. Resolution No. 2025-56 establishes Schmitt’s salary at the Control Point. For ten months the Control Point salary is approximately $204,503. The difference between the Control Point salary and the FY25/26 budgeted amount for the City Treasurer position is $15,522, which can be absorbed by the City Treasurer Department budget in FY25/26. Additional funds will be required in future fiscal year budgets.
Schmitt’s start date as City Treasurer is Monday, August 25, 2025.
Environmental Status:
This action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Non Applicable - Administrative Item
Attachment(s):
1. Resolution No. 2025-56