PREPARED BY: VIVIANA TOLEDO DATE OF MEETING: 06/01/2026
SUBJECT:
TITLE
CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN PABLO AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE JANUARY 20, 2015, PROPERTY TAX CONSULTING/AUDIT SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH HDL COREN & CONE, A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION
CEQA: This proposed action is not a project as defined by CEQA.
Label
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution
BODY
COMPLIANCE STATEMENTS
FY 2025-2027 Council Priority Workplan Compliance Statements:
Continue Best Management Practices, Fiscal Excellence, and Fiscal Transparency is a major policy goal contained in the adopted Fiscal Year 2025-2027 City Council Priority Workplan, effective April 7, 2025.
BACKGROUND
Since 2015, the City of San Pablo has contracted with HdL Coren & Cone for property tax consulting/audit services. HdL Coren & Cone base services include identifying and correcting property tax allocation and TRA errors, reconciling assessed valuation records, reviewing secured and unsecured property tax rolls, auditing tax revenues, maintaining an online property tax application, preparing annual property ownership and valuation reports, tracking transfers and appeals, providing revenue projections and historical trend analyses, supporting Successor Agency and redevelopment-related reporting, delivering quarterly and monthly property tax updates, and serving as an ongoing property tax consulting resource for the City.
Under the amendment, fee components include: (1) contingent fees for analysis and identification of misallocation errors under Base Services Section 2.1; (2) fixed annual fees for annual, quarterly, monthly, and ongoing consultation services under Sections 2.2 through 2.5; and (3) hourly fees for Optional Services billed at the following rates: Partner ($250/hour), Principal ($225/hour), Programmer ($200/hour), Associate ($175/hour), Senior Analyst ($125/hour), Analyst ($90/hour), and Administrative staff ($70/hour), exclusive of expenses and subject to annual increases capped at 5%.
The agreement further provides that the annual base fee will remain unchanged until the 2026 California Consumer Price Index (CCPI) adjustment is applied, after which annual CCPI adjustments will occur each January, with the acknowledged base annual fee as of July 1, 2026 set at $13,647.92
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost of this agreement will be charged to the Finance Department professional services budget line item (100-1420-43600). Sufficient funds are available in the current fiscal year budget for this purpose; therefore, no new appropriations are needed at this time.
ATTACHMENTS:
Att A. Proposed Resolution
Exh 1. First amendment to agreement with HdL Coren & Cone