Rob Williamson, senior consultant at Evergreen, presented results of a classification and compensation study to the Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners during a workshop, saying the county’s published pay ranges are behind the market and recommending a numeric pay‑grade plan, a partially phased implementation and annual evaluations for employees. "You want a fair and competitive pay plan," Williamson said, describing the study’s goal to align Suwannee County with the market average while remaining fiscally responsible.

The study surveyed roughly 230 county positions, Williamson said, with about a 79 percent employee survey completion rate and nearly 90 percent classification participation. Evergreen compared Suwannee County to 13 peer counties (11 of which provided usable data) and produced market averages from those matches; Williamson said the average match count was about seven for each classification.

Williamson recommended a numeric pay grading system (grades 101, 102, 103, etc.) with defined minimums, midpoints and maximums and a single annual cost‑of‑living adjustment tied to market movement. He proposed a "bring to minimum" transition — moving employees who fall below the new pay‑range minimum up to that minimum — and said that step represents about 3.5 percent of base payroll. "The bring to minimum represents 3.5 percent of payroll," he said.

Williamson cautioned the published pay‑range shortfall does not mean every employee would receive a large raise; he said full correction of all wage compression across the organization would cost substantially more and gave one example figure of roughly $1.2 million for more extensive parity adjustments. He also said the consultant does not recommend reducing any current employee salaries.

On benefits, Williamson said Suwannee County’s individual health coverage is generally in line with peers, but family coverage differs: "Overall, the market average is employers covering 70 percent and employees 30 percent; for y'all it's pretty much inverted," he said, adding that retirement via the Florida Retirement System (FRS) is consistent with the market and a differentiator for total compensation.

Board members asked about peer selection, cost estimates and how supervisors could reward top performers inside the proposed ranges. "Those positions were selected with leadership input and reviewed during kickoff and focus groups," Williamson said, and noted the consultant adjusts peer pay ranges for regional cost‑of‑living differences before averaging. He recommended using an indexed annual adjustment (for example, a CPI‑based approach) rather than a static flat increase such as a flat 50‑cent hourly bump.

Commissioners discussed retention and recruitment pressures in lower‑paid roles and asked staff about timing and budget impacts. County staff said detailed all‑in cost estimates (taxes, benefits, employer payroll costs) will be developed for the board during budget deliberations; Williamson said the 3.5 percent figure represents base salary only. Mr. Scott, county staff, confirmed the budget workshop is the appropriate vehicle to set aside funds should the board wish to implement the recommendation.

Board members also raised implementing annual employee performance evaluations tied to discretionary movement within ranges. Williamson and staff said they would develop an evaluation and approval process that preserves supervisory discretion while adding checks (for example, requiring a second‑level signature for larger increases) to guard against favoritism.

No formal board action was taken at the workshop. The board agreed to ask staff to draft procedures for annual evaluations and to include the pay plan options and cost details in forthcoming budget materials for formal consideration. The meeting adjourned after a motion by Commissioner Perkins, seconded by Commissioner Hale, which passed 5–0.

The study materials and a list of peer counties used in the analysis were discussed in the workshop; staff said they will provide the full peer list and detailed cost multipliers to the board on request.