Charles Modica was appointed as the City’s Independent Budget Analyst (IBA) on April 4, 2022, following a nationwide recruitment. Charles is only the second person appointed to this position since its creation in 2004, when San Diego switched to a “strong mayor” form of government. Prior to being appointed IBA, Charles held other positions in the Office of the IBA as a Fiscal and Policy Analyst (from 2013 through 2018) and the Office’s Deputy Director (from 2021 through 2022). From 2018 through 2020 he managed the Finance Division of the City's Public Utilities Department, a 60 person team responsible for that department’s $1.6 billion annual operating and capital budget. Prior to his work in San Diego, Charles served as a Legislative Analyst for the Office of the Chief Legislative Analyst in Los Angeles.

Charles has worked on a wide variety of City issues, including budget development, revenue projections, COVID response, real estate proposals, infrastructure needs, land use and planning, redevelopment dissolution, stadium issues, and election issues. His work in Los Angeles included development and analysis of the City's budget, oversight of a $500 million General Obligation bond program for stormwater projects, environmental policy, and LAUSD redistricting.

Charles graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with honors with a degree in Political Science.