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Council launches review of department head pay; subcommittee to report back in November
Summary
Council members agreed to form a short subcommittee to review disparities in department head salaries, with a focus on community development, economic development and the fire chief; the group will return to finance with recommendations by the late-November meeting.
The Medina City Council finance committee agreed to study disparities in department head compensation and appointed a three-member subcommittee to develop recommendations before the end of the year.
The discussion began with staff providing comparative salary information from several jurisdictions and noting variability in job descriptions, years of service and benefit packages. Council members said initial review suggests at least two — and possibly three or four — department head positions are meaningfully below comparable averages. The committee identified the community development director, the economic development director and the fire chief as priorities for review.
Council action The committee appointed a subcommittee of council members to examine the most obvious disparities and return with a recommendation to the finance committee. The subcommittee membership called for in the meeting is: Jim (council member), Chad (council member) and Paul (council member). Staff (including the city HR director) will participate in the analysis. The subcommittee agreed to report back to the finance committee by the finance meeting in late November so changes could be implemented in January without retroactive pay if possible.
Timing and process Council and finance staff said a full review across all department head positions could be time-consuming and that adjustments could be phased: the most urgent disparities could be addressed by year-end while a broader review continues into the following year. Finance staff requested that, if possible, recommended adjustments not be made retroactive given other pending compensation actions and upcoming union contract changes.
Ending The committee instructed the subcommittee and HR staff to gather additional market data, clarify job descriptions and consider length-of-service impacts so the council can make informed decisions before year-end if changes are warranted.
