Council adopts Evergreen Solutions pay plan after presentation showing ~10% market gap

The Seaford Mayor and Council on April 20 adopted a new general employee pay plan prepared by Evergreen Solutions and instructed staff to include compa‑ratio salary adjustments in the FY26 budget.

Mark Holcomb, project manager with Evergreen Solutions, presented the study results, saying the city’s pay ranges are about 10% below market on average after cost‑of‑living adjustments. The firm recommended (1) adopting an adjusted market‑responsive pay plan that mirrors the existing structure with greater consistency in range widths; (2) assigning pay grades to individual classifications based on internal equity and market results; and (3) using a compa‑ratio method to bring employee salaries into the revised ranges while preserving relative placement within ranges.

Study takeaway and cost: Holcomb told the council the average market gap across surveyed classifications was roughly 10% and recommended individualized changes by classification. Evergreen Solutions estimated the one‑time cost of implementing the recommended adjustments at about $293,000 affecting 50 employees (roughly $5,800 per employee on average). Council adopted the consultant recommendations and instructed finance and human resources to include the compa‑ratio salary changes in the FY26 budget.

Why it matters: The pay‑plan adoption aims to address external competitiveness concerns raised by employees during the study, preserve internal equity, and reduce the risk of losing staff to higher paying regional employers. The council’s vote commits the city to funding those adjustments through the next budget cycle.

Implementation: City staff will return a detailed implementation schedule and the exact FY26 budget request for council review. The council voted unanimously to adopt the plan.