Jackie Rocco, West Hollywood’s new City Manager, contract takes effect today, Jan. 8, and we’re learning it does more than outline her package.
The two-year term runs from Jan. 8, 2026, through Jan. 8, 2028. It has an automatic one-year extension to Jan. 8, 2029, unless City Council gives written notice at least 90 days before the end of the term that it does not intend to extend, which is typical. Any extension beyond Jan. 8, 2029, would require a written amendment. The Dec. 15 council agenda attachments include Rocco’s contract, and WEHOonline also rounded up the agenda materials here: On the Agenda: Monday December 15th, 2025.
If anything stands out, it reads as though City Council is attempting to place some boundaries around the position, what happens if the relationship terminates ahead of schedule, and just how long the City’s top administrator has to technically stay out of the sphere of influence once they leave.
As you might imagine, this is not a mid-level contract. The City Manager’s pay is listed at $31,762.34 per month, the highest base salary line posted. The City also links salary schedules on its HR page here: Salary and Compensation Info.
Guardrail 1: A Longer “Revolving Door” Period
One of the “new rules” is the revolving door language.
Rocco’s agreement has a four-year post-employment restriction in it. Former City Manager David Wilson’s agreement lists one year. Wilson’s contract is posted here. The underlying City rule this is based off is in the Municipal Code’s post-employment lobbying section here.
It appears the period is meant to limit how quickly a departing City Manager can come back to City Hall in a private role. It would, in theory, prevent them from trying to set up any deals, represent clients, or basically try to influence City Hall decisions from the outside.
Guardrail 2: A Clearer Severance
Jackie’s severance clause is also fairly simple. If she’s terminated without cause, meaning she isn’t axed for doing something inappropriate, and the separation is handled appropriately, she’ll get a severance at six months of base salary — subject to state limits.
David Wilson’s agreement is more time-windowed, and it was later extended. During the final extension period, the agreement lists 90 days of base salary if terminated without cause.
People can debate whether any severance should exist, or the length, but from a transparency standpoint, Rocco’s contract is easier to read. It’s a single baseline number, not a sliding set of windows.
Pay and Expenses
Rocco’s agreement sets her base annual salary at $368,500 ($30,708.33 per month). It also ties annual cost-of-living adjustments to the City’s standard increases for managers and directors, and it allows City Council to consider a discretionary performance-based increase at evaluation time.
The contract includes two monthly allowances that are standard in City Hall executive agreements, $250 for unreimbursed business expenses and $100 for technology and cell phone use.
It also sets the City’s deferred compensation contribution at 3% of monthly base salary, allowing for an increase to 5% after two years of service.
Wilson’s agreement had scheduled salary steps that rose to $381,148.03 ($31,762. 33) as of Jan. 7, 2025, and it explicitly stated there was no cost-of-living adjustment. His contract also listed a 5% City contribution to deferred compensation, along with the same $250 and $100 monthly allowances.
The one caveat is that the benefits portion is not written as a single posted dollar figure in the agreement. Rocco’s contract describes benefits generally and ties them to the City’s standard benefit structure, rather than itemizing a total benefits value. As such, we’re unable to provide a “total package” number without separate benefit cost documents for the same year.
Worth noting is the vacation benefit, and it’s generous by most standards. The agreement gives Rocco 196 hours of vacation per year, about 24.5 eight-hour days, or just under five standard workweeks, and it accrues biweekly as earned. Unused vacation can carry over year to year, with a cap of 380 hours, and any remaining balance is paid out at her current base hourly rate if she separates from City service. The contract also allows an annual cash-out of unused vacation time, as long as she took at least two weeks of leave in the prior calendar year. Fair to point out that the 196-hour vacation allotment is likely tied to longevity. Rocco isn’t coming in as a brand-new hire, she’s a long-time City employee moving into the top job, and the contract’s vacation language reads like a senior-service accrual level rather than a starter package.
What Do Nearby Cities Pay?
West Hollywood isn’t the only small city paying top dollar.
If you’re looking for some rough comparisons, here are 2024 numbers for City Managers in some nearby cities we found at Transparent California. Note: these figures are not the same thing as a base salary, but it gives a sense of the neighborhood West Hollywood is in:
Beverly Hills City Manager, 2024 regular pay: $408,724
Santa Monica City Manager, 2024 regular pay: $403,143
Pasadena City Manager, 2024 regular pay: $383,814
Culver City City Manager, 2024 regular pay: $352,410
For West Hollywood, the most recent posted year shows Wilson’s total pay and benefits at $545,665 in 2024, which includes categories beyond regular pay.
West Hollywood City Manager Duties
In the event you’d like a refresher on what the City Manager’s job entails, here’s a quick overview. The City Manager is the top administrator, the CEO of the City, if you will. They’re the point person City Council relies on to run the day-to-day operation and carry out what the Council votes on.
In essence, the City Manager is responsible for making sure state laws and City ordinances are enforced, keeping an eye on franchises, permits and other obligations owed to the City, and managing the organization itself, including hiring, discipline and removal of City employees. As many know if you’ve ever been to or watched a City Council meeting on WeHoTV, the City Manager attends all Council meetings, keeps the Council updated on the City’s finances and operational needs, and often tees up recommended ordinances or policies for Council to consider.
The job also includes building out the annual budget and then administering it once it’s been approved. They also oversee purchasing and spending within the City’s rules, investigate complaints about City operations or public utility service, and supervise City facilities and public property, from buildings and parks to the streets.
The code also sets a basic boundary for how City Hall is supposed to work. For example, Councilmembers are required to deal with administrative matters through the City Manager, and it prohibits Councilmembers from giving orders directly to City staff who report to the City Manager. (The City’s City Manager chapter starts here: WHMC Chapter 2.04, including Section 2.04.080.)
Bottom Line
The contract reads pretty straight forward. It represents a handoff, but it can also be read as Council attempting to set some boundaries. The post-employment restriction is longer, and the severance language is easier to track.
Thankfully, as of owner of Rocco’s, she has a vested interest in making sure the hot dog gangs are removed from the sidewalks. I just witnessed a hot dog fire in front of Rocco’s the other day. I’m hoping she can clean up the mess that Erickson, Hang, and D’Amico started.
Thanks for the informative analysis of the new City Manager’s contract.
Historically there have been issues with insiders in management positions who formally retire and then get hired as “consultants”, which seems like an obvious abuse of the system. Jackie has a wider range of experience compared to David Wilson as well as social skills and a more inclusive management style that hopefully will help address the malaise at City Hall.
Seems like a fair contract to me. Let’s hope she does better than David Wilson did. He leaves a legacy of broken promises, disorganisation and disgruntled staff. First thing she needs to do is address the street vending issue, something Wilson promised to bring back, but never did.