[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6641759,"mediaKeyId","3640827-cc3b33c1be446bdaf4532b2e4d3e59be","parentId",3640827,"title","Fort Worth begins citywide classification study; $18 entry rate proposed, final recommendations due May 2026","audioSeconds",462,"startMs",1320000,"endMs",1782000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3640827-cc3b33c1be446bdaf4532b2e4d3e59be&start=1320&end=1782","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3640827-cc3b33c1be446bdaf4532b2e4d3e59be/thumbnail_1320000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6641759/Fort-Worth/Tarrant-County/Texas/Fort-Worth-begins-citywide-classification-study-18-entry-rate-proposed-final-recommendations-due-May-2026","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6641759-185e25db6cff830f753deb901fab599c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201260&Signature=UKBHRjX6BSt0ffAmr2DEZLaoGNR6GmHtioS~smw9pCV692EH~7153b8gOVXYqb3kkZxPeyFa8u2sVteeuWSS7L22zxj77QkcyEvQI97TVJSWgA2C73hkimHrmtu2za4OxArzNFoPwf0Wy4tKF3S8YsjWCOH5CA~L75NEp4NCjkvxfZ8K5iYc-z-6MYzRG4Rq7Zwj2acZqOp8Pe6ntc8OkINLBEh3b4alPnEgMgnraq5pRZ9gK9krJD9Vlv8iyYf3X4bZBddgsXTDRUWF2F3jA6aJX62DOSkuxPE3~HK~Ys92lZCuO~8tLJvpx8uXJBYBUgbNcAl98tSPVvipmzNYwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fort Worth","date","2025-05-27T18:21:58Z","article","Holly Moyer, interim HR director, briefed the Fort Worth City Council on a citywide classification and compensation study that will inform future pay structure decisions and address pay compression across the municipal workforce.

Moyer said the study — led by Segal Consulting — began with a citywide job-description questionnaire (JDQ) effort. Segal had expected 750–850 JDQs, Moyer said, but employees submitted more than 1,900 completed JDQs. The study covers roughly 450–550 job titles and about 4,500 positions; it does not include civil-service fire or police classifications, Moyer said.

Moyer said the study will produce a job architecture and a compensation philosophy and that Segal will present market-analysis findings and fiscal-impact recommendations in January–April 2026, with final results and recommendations scheduled for presentation in May 2026. Moyer said the study will examine compressed pay ranges at the lower skill levels where entry pay has approached or matched pay for higher-skilled roles.

The council heard that the city already proposes an $18 entry rate for the next budget cycle. Moyer and other staff said the city will still budget pay-for-performance increases next year (the city’s current pay-for-performance range is 0–7%, with budgeting assumptions centered near a 4% average). Council members asked whether the study’s timeline could be shortened to ensure findings inform the next budget cycle; Moyer said staff would seek efficiencies but made no promise to change the schedule.

Council members also asked about stakeholder outreach: Moyer said Segal held about 20 on-site meetings with department leadership and hosted multiple sessions for employees; she said over 750 employees attended informational presentations. Council members requested that staff share regional market-comparison data and the MIT study results at the June 17 session; staff agreed to provide updated information at that meeting.

No final council action on the study or on the $18 entry rate was recorded at the work session; staff said they will return with additional data and recommendations in the months ahead.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Budget Work Session | June 3, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Interim HR director Holly Moyer and staff described a citywide classification and compensation study led with Segal Consulting. The study collected more than 1,900 job-description questionnaires, aims to address pay compression, and will deliver compensation-philosophy recommendations in early 2026; an $18 entry rate is already proposed for FY26.","taxTitle","Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas","taxId",2814,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6641764,"Fort Worth: skyrocketing employee medical claims push proposal for higher city contributions, wellness changes",149,773000,922000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3640827-cc3b33c1be446bdaf4532b2e4d3e59be&start=773&end=922","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3640827-cc3b33c1be446bdaf4532b2e4d3e59be/thumbnail_773000.jpg","/articles/6641764/Fort-Worth/Tarrant-County/Texas/Fort-Worth-skyrocketing-employee-medical-claims-push-proposal-for-higher-city-contributions-wellness-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6641764-de505cf787b99980fca8206d4ceb20ed/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201260&Signature=URS5lHBWC1WuId5fx024NoBfyFAjmo8~eaV1nmkz-MB2WlXU49~R6dW2BBov-asO2yyxarjcpJtNHNPxt7iBT2L7NRdN6Uod3qbCYyQlfywK8I1Tj6wQnDdtmCZMnA5E-kstYmvDj07W9HzFa1k9U44FSZlGqTMpXC6Qhyzqcaj6cVNdPB6lRMr~8dO5D3cX8mxuoZYKrT~VdSDk9~MizqM~XLkYfh8juDQ9zgNJfcxW0LbiB~dLMmvtcrWxsZcCMtBjS3MeypaEGn0r5cgtLfwOFIVdCuNp8HNvYipjlaNc0CZHQ9CPD2s4wha-mOXLKARmaDxVy~7B4rPuCW2qtQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Joanne Henson, an HR presenter at the Fort Worth budget work session, told council members the city's self-funded health plan has seen a sharp rise in high-cost claims and that staff are proposing changes to contributions and wellness incentives for fiscal year 2026.

Henson said the city carries stop-loss insurance with a $1 million per-claimant threshold; however, one plan participant currently has a lasered stop-loss that requires the city to pay the first $1,800,000 for that claimant. Henson said the city hit the stop-loss threshold twice in the first 10 years she worked there and five times in the last two years. She added that from 2023 to 2024 the city's claims costs increased by about $16 million and that the number of claims above $250,000 rose from 23 in 2022 to 31 in 2024.

To address rising costs, Henson said staff propose a 7% increase in the city's contributions for FY26 and recommended a 3% increase on the employee premium side; she said staff have modeled a 5% employee increase as well and that option would yield roughly $800,000 more for the plan. Henson also said the city is adding about 100 MedStar employees to its general plan population, which will raise enrollment and claims exposure.

Henson said the city continues to cover GLP (glucagon-like peptide) weight-loss medications and that staff plan to bring in three weight-management vendors to provide lifestyle support alongside drug therapy. \"What we're hoping to do is that if we have people who work with lifestyle management…people will be able to get to a place where they'll be able to come off the GLP ones,\" Henson said.

On wellness incentives, Henson outlined a proposed change that would allow employees to choose either a $250 cash payout or two wellness days off. She said the current premium-incentive participation rate is 86%. Henson noted that offering wellness days instead of cash would reduce the city's liability because unused days would not carry over and estimated that if 50% of incentive participants chose the days, the city would save about $175,000.

Councilman Larsdorf asked whether lower-paid employees would prefer the cash option; Henson responded with participation-history data, saying the city previously offered days off through 2015 and then saw about 50% of participants choose the days over cash when the option was available. Henson said the city has roughly 10,000–11,000 employees covered now and that adding MedStar's 100 employees will increase that total.

No formal action was taken at the session; staff said they will continue to refine budget proposals and return with additional detail at upcoming sessions.","HR staff told the council health-claims costs have jumped and the city proposes a 7% increase in its contributions for health coverage for FY26, a possible 3% employee premium increase, continued coverage of GLP weight-loss medications, and wellness-program changes including optional wellness days in lieu of a cash payout.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6641769,"Fort Worth staff: Texas bill could cut FY26 permit revenue by $1.9 million; flat health-permit fee would reduce loss to $650,000",213,508000,721000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3640827-cc3b33c1be446bdaf4532b2e4d3e59be&start=508&end=721","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3640827-cc3b33c1be446bdaf4532b2e4d3e59be/thumbnail_508000.jpg","/articles/6641769/Fort-Worth/Tarrant-County/Texas/Fort-Worth-staff-Texas-bill-could-cut-FY26-permit-revenue-by-19-million-flat-health-permit-fee-would-reduce-loss-to-650000","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6641769-8cf9df14777e8d2ff6b43b7ce09d7efe/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201260&Signature=M4j1iXdhud8aKWpoWX16Cggz276WC-vNttxt3Q3LXwJcYbGcDoCBrDYF0ULJlreAcJdF6jC4g2C~FUOzRB64PVqmwAUt~u6v7z613v6Y-rGrGYyG53dFMV5YPV0WpEPOhHvKcHN3lG77DQWq8geL80bCaT3j7iH-01A4V01RDZTuoDLgJHPCVts6uRvue0fp~iEBG3IMqxPhZNGxHk2v6J4sq38xRWkV4sm2X2Ww5PIu1gyLsBGVtt1VLlCXDD7u8SHYvCefqrrsc3hygb0UvMt4cjvgzt5x0MBfX0NZMus5BcSBvmrMdt2tsOk-2azml7audKvsaH~ErLRcAkWQiw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff told the Fort Worth City Council at a June budget work session that a recently passed Texas bill affecting regulation of food service permits would reduce the city's general-fund permit revenue by about $1.9 million in fiscal year 2026.

Christianne Simmons, a city staff member who led the legislative update, said Senate Bill 1008 limits what local governments can charge for health permits. Simmons said Environmental Services plans to recommend a flat $773 fee for those permits in an upcoming motion and contract (M&C). The change would require a 60-day notice to the state and would take effect Sept. 1, she said. Simmons said the proposed flat fee would mitigate the projected $1.9 million loss to about $650,000 in FY26.

Simmons said the change would not alter the city's inspection services. \"We still plan to deliver the same service through health inspections and health permits,\" said Cody, an Environmental Services staff member. \"We just need to review our fee schedule to be in alignment with this particular senate bill that has now [become] law and also to maintain all of those other state regulations. So we're not looking at a change in service.\" (Speaker names and roles as recorded in the meeting.)

Simmons also reviewed other bills the city is tracking that could affect future budgets. She said Senate Bill 1202 — relating to third-party review of development documents and inspections — may require administrative changes to the Accela permitting system but does not yet have a clear fiscal impact. Simmons said House Bill 9, which raised the business personal property exemption to $125,000 (amended from earlier proposals), would create a larger revenue loss beginning in FY27: she estimated roughly $6.25 million for the general fund and an additional $1.75 million affecting debt-service/property-tax receipts.

Simmons said staff will present a fuller discussion of fees and rates at the council's next budget work session on June 17.

The discussion at the work session focused on the projected revenue impacts and procedural steps to align the city's fee schedules with state law. No formal vote or directive on the recommended $773 flat permit fee was recorded at this session; staff said they will bring the M&C to council for action in the coming weeks.","City staff told the Fort Worth City Council during a budget work session that Senate Bill 1008 would lower health permit revenue by about $1.9 million in fiscal year 2026; Environmental Services proposes a $773 flat fee to reduce the shortfall to roughly $650,000 while retaining inspection services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Fort Worth begins citywide classification study; $18 entry rate proposed, final recommendations due May 2026

Fort Worth: skyrocketing employee medical claims push proposal for higher city contributions, wellness changes

Fort Worth staff: Texas bill could cut FY26 permit revenue by $1.9 million; flat health-permit fee would reduce loss to $650,000