Dona Ana County adopts new pay structure, sets market target at 60th percentile

Dona Ana County on Aug. 12 approved a consultant-led overhaul of the county's classification and pay structure, directing staff to bring unrepresented employees to the 60th percentile of the external market. The Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the recommended DBM (decision-band method) structure and the implementation steps presented by human resources and consultants.

The compensation study aimed to determine whether county pay was competitive and to recommend a market-aligned structure. Meg Haynes, the county's human resources director, introduced the consultant team from Gallagher. Catherine Thorpe, senior consultant and project manager, told commissioners the study compared county jobs to 97 benchmark roles across peer counties and published salary surveys and adjusted market data to a November 1, 2025 baseline.

"The study was conducted to compare the salaries with the County of Dona Ana to the external market to look for competitive pay practices," Thorpe said during the presentation. She and colleague Jamie Parker outlined a 24-grade DBM structure and options for setting the structure at the 50th or 60th percentile; staff recommended the 60th percentile.

The county already ranked close to market on aggregate, the consultants said, but gaps remained for long-tenured and technical roles. The board directed that no employee would receive a pay reduction; implementation would bring any employee below a new grade minimum up to that minimum and account for already-approved step increases.

Commissioners asked about continued review of the structure. County and HR staff said annual adjustments are standard practice and that the county would continue to review market trends and update the structure over time. The board also asked HR to verify job-level classification matches and to continue line-by-line reviews for positions with large variances.

The action: the board approved the implementing resolution (Resolution No. 2025-90) by roll-call vote, with Commissioners Gamedos, Reynolds, Sanchez, Vice Chair Chaparro and Chair Sheldrow Hernandez voting yes. The county manager and HR director will proceed with implementation steps and a communication plan for employees.

The consultants estimated the one-time fiscal impact for implementing the recommended structure would be small relative to the county payroll budget; ongoing adjustments will be incorporated into future budgets. The county's HR office and Gallagher recommended routine annual reviews to keep the structure aligned with local market trends.

Implementation details, including individual adjustments and the timeline for pay changes, will be administered by HR subject to the county's payroll calendar and reporting to the commission.